Commitment N° 1: To contribute to the future of farmers and different forms of agriculture

The stakes for society: Feeding mankind sustainably

Everywhere in the world, farmers should be able to have access to production resources and obtain fair prices and remuneration for their work. Food security, and therefore the future of agriculture and the agri-food sector, are dependent on the lasting prosperity of farmers.

To create high-performance seeds that meet the needs of farmers

Throughout history men have sought to feed themselves more easily and then to feed others. As this history moves forward, progress in agriculture is more and more dependent on farmers' access to production resources (seeds, plant care products, mechanization, irrigation…) and to the evolution of farming practices. As methods become more modern and more efficient, the objective remains the same: to feed Mankind. Still today, farmers and growers, with varied surface areas and regional conditions, are set on preserving this role of feeding mankind. With access to technological advances and more suitable seeds, they base their hopes on better harvests and do all they can to secure their revenue.

To participate in the viability and vitality of our regions

Limagrain is convinced that the vitality of different regions goes hand in hand with viable farms throughout the world. Through its economic activities and the involvement of its subsidiaries in regional life, the Group contributes to the development of the region where it is located.

Thus in Auvergne, Limagrain develops agri-food chains that valorize the agricultural produce of its members and make a great contribution to employment. The Group participates in the social life of the region, in particular by sponsoring ASM Clermont Auvergne, the local rugby club that plays in the French championship (Top 14) and Europe (HCup).

To respect the diversity of different forms of agriculture

To feed the world there must be diverse forms of agriculture adapted to the characteristics of different regions, whether they be agro-pedoclimatic or cultural. For Limagrain, encouraging the co-existence of all forms of agriculture, whether conventional, biological or genetically modified, is part of a balanced vision of sustainable development. At a time when the world is confronted with the challenge of food security for all people, the Group is convinced that we need to rally all human energy and deploy all technological improvements to meet this challenge.

To promote an international agricultural and food policy

Everywhere, agricultural prices are fluctuating in proportions that no other economic sector could sustainably bear. This volatility is a serious threat to the future of farmers. The world is sliding towards agriculture with no farmers, governed by financial speculation and economic, environmental and social dumping. And this destabilizes all forms of family and local agriculture. Through its international dimension, Limagrain defends all farmers wherever they are in the world, and all forms of agriculture, with momagri, which it founded.

momagri, the movement for the world organization for agriculture

Founded in 2005 at the initiative of Limagrain, momagri is both a producer of reflection and new ideas, and a builder of tools to help political considerations to move forward. After creating its own economic model, momagri has decided to launch an agricultural rating agency in the form of a start-up. The aim is to use “the power of information” to initiate a better awareness, by political leaders and international organizations, of the repercussions at stake with the evolution of different forms of agriculture in the world.

It will rate the international agricultural policies and practices in order to guide international decision-makers on a regular basis. The Agency has just presented the first results of an interim report on a new indicator: “SGPA” (Global Support to Agricultural Production). The objective
targeted by the SGPA indicator is as far as possible, to integrate the different direct and indirect transmission channels which allow a government to subsidize its agriculture, and which do not necessarily appear in the national agricultural budget. The SGPA indicator aims at providing a more exhaustive and wider vision than the OECD indicator, the PSE (Producer Support Estimate), which is essential to improve international discussions.

These two instruments, the economic model and the rating agency, together form the basis of true governance and new international co-operation for agriculture.

http://www.momagri.org/UK/momagri-home.html