Aubagne's farmland preservation efforts gain momentum as Terre de Liens expands with citizen support, helping young farmers like Marcos Robalo thrive in organic agriculture.
Aubagne's farmland expansion project
In Aubagne, agricultural operations are growing with the help of Terre de Liens, an organization focused on protecting farmland from rising demand and helping new organic farmers get started. This effort is funded by contributions from citizens.Local farmer shares land with others
Marcos Robalo, a 33-year-old farmer and poultry breeder from Marseille, has been renting land from Terre de Liens since 2022. At the Fauge farm, he shares the space with two other farmers, Charles and Hélène, who grow vegetables and raise sheep.Fauge farm's expansion plans
The Fauge farm, bought by Terre de Liens in 2025, covers two and a half hectares. The association plans to increase the area to three hectares. Charles Bonnefont, 52, who retrained in agriculture in 2020, hopes to grow table grapes and figs by 2027 or 2028, seeing the project as a kind of activism.High land prices in Aubagne
The City of Aubagne reports that agricultural land in the area costs between 8 to 10 euros per square meter, or 80,000 to 100,000 euros per hectare. This is much higher than the 15,000 to 20,000 euros per hectare in the Bouches-du-Rhône department.Land acquisition process
Terre de Liens acquires land using citizen savings and donations. Éric Tocu, co-president of the association, explained that each purchase involves legal procedures and cooperation with the Safer, which regulates the agricultural market. The process can take more than a year.Terre de Liens manages multiple farms
In the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, Terre de Liens manages 35 farms, ranging from two to twenty hectares. These farms focus on vegetable farming and livestock. The association first acquired land in Aubagne in 2013, acquiring four properties each year in the region.Supporting retiring farmers
Terre de Liens is often asked to help retiring farmers find new people to take over their land. On average, those retraining and starting farming are between 30 and 40 years old. Éric Tocu admitted the challenge of finding all available plots.New tool for identifying unused land
The Open Friche Map website already lists abandoned land that could be used for farming. A new online tool, developed with the Regional Directorate for the Environment, Planning, and Housing (Dreal), is expected to be available by 2027. It will also allow users to report and catalog unused land.
