Farmers committed to circularity : Breton farmers are particularly sensitive to environmental issues

AUTHOR : ANDRÉ SERGENT, President of the Brittany Regional Chamber of Agriculture

Brittany is at the forefront of a varied and dynamic agricultural sector that takes on board all environmental issues, including the management of its used plastics, right through to the end of the product’s life. We asked André Sergent, President of the Brittany Regional Chamber of Agriculture, to give Plasticulture Magazine readers his views.

Plasticulture Magazine: Agriculture in Brittany is highly diversified, both in terms of animal and plant production, with a variety of uses for agricultural plastics. What are its specific features and how does it fit into the regional panorama of the Great West?

André Sergent: Brittany is a land of livestock farming and, like many other areas of production, our activities involve the use of plastic materials such as silage tarpaulins, wraps, twine, insemination probes, etc. However, these uses are perfectly controlled and the used materials are then collected for recycling.

Brittany is also a region with a particularly high level of vegetable production (open field or under cover). Plastics (polyethylene) are mainly used for ground mulching and for covering tunnels and multi-houses.

For some crops, polyethylene mulch remains the norm, such as shallots. This crop is harvested mechanically, and to date the use of biodegradable film does not offer sufficient guarantees of preservation until harvest.

At the same time, the use of biodegradable mulch is developing on certain crops. This material is suited to the production conditions of certain vegetables, such as squash, and has made it possible to overcome the problems posed by the use of polyethylene for these crops (large volume of plant waste when removed, making used mulch difficult to recycle).

Another special feature of vegetable and market gardening is the use of non-woven films for early crops (type P17/19), as well as woven films (anti-insect sails), mainly to protect against flies (root vegetables) but also more recently against major pests (corvids, rabbits, pigeons, etc.).

Plasticulture Magazine: The feature article in this issue focuses on the Grand-Ouest region of France, where all aspects of the plastic industry are involved in the integrated management of agricultural plastics. This is a unique case in France, which has enabled the development of a local circularity from the farmer to the recycler. What is your perception as a farmer?