New law proposal submitted

A new proposal for a pastoral law has been submitted to the National Assembly, marking the first major update since the last pastoral law was enacted in 1972. The proposal, led by ecological deputy Marie Pochon from Drôme, was presented at the Livestock Summit.

Support from multiple deputies

The proposal includes 13 articles and has been supported by 36 deputies, following dozens of hours of hearings with more than a hundred organizations involved in pastoralism. Two parliamentary reports contributed to the development of the law proposal: one conducted by deputy Marie Pochon and another by Puy-de-Dôme senator Jean-Marc Boyer.

Definition of pastoralism included

The proposal aims to introduce a legislative definition of pastoralism into the Rural and Maritime Fisheries Code, recognizing the specificity of this form of extensive livestock farming based on the mobility of herds, the valorization of spontaneous resources in pastures, the skills specific to farmers and shepherds, as well as the collective dimension inherent to pastoral organization, according to Marie Pochon.

Concrete measures proposed

Beyond the statement of intent, the transpartisan law proposal includes concrete proposals: creation of departmental pastoral committees, implementation of payments for pastoral environmental services, creation of pastoral zones in urban planning documents, support for local breeds adapted to pastoralism, recognition of the essential nature of slaughter tools, and recognition of the role of pastoralism in the defense of forests against fires and the prevention of natural risks.

No scheduled examination

For now, the examination of this law proposal is not scheduled in the parliamentary calendar.