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Plastics and the agricultural revolution : a plastic for every crop…
AUTHOR : Gérard ROCHE, President of the Association Provençale de Recherche et d’Expérimentation Légumière (APREL), Director of Légumes de France
At the end of a long career, Gérard Roche was able to observe the opportunities that plastic had created for the agricultural sector. According to him, it has saved farmers’ competitiveness in terms of agronomy, labor time, production, yield, and quality. This is why he places such importance on innovation and, even more fundamentally, on the rigorous and regular testing of solutions entering the market.
Plasticulture Magazine : In the public debate surrounding plastic, how do you explain its role in agriculture, and what is your response to those concerned about pollution risks ?
Gérard Roche : Before addressing the concerns that might arise from the use of agricultural plastics, I would first like to highlight the revolution their introduction brought to the agricultural world. From the first mulches in the late 1960s to the wide range of products available today, farmers have experienced a true transformation. This has affected every aspect of our activity: crop choices, scheduling, cultivation techniques, plant protection, water and input consumption, yields… So much so that today, we cannot imagine farming without plastics. They have saved our competitiveness by increasing profitability.
However, the issue of used agricultural plastics (UAPs) quickly became apparent to farmers, leading to the establishment of collection systems — sometimes by municipalities, other times by private companies — with recycling already in mind. At the time, we didn’t know exactly where these efforts would lead, but we knew recycling was the goal. Of course, mistakes were made, such as burying some UAPs. But in Vaucluse and neighboring regions, 95% of them were gathered at collection points like RecupAgri. The agricultural community organized itself quickly. I remember when bales of UAPs were sold; it covered transport and recovery costs and encouraged farmers to participate.
In France, if agriculture isn’t heavily criticized for its use of plastics, it’s because the profession has managed UAPs relatively responsibly. That being said, there’s still work to do, of course.
Plasticulture Magazine : How does Légumes de France view the future of plastics in agriculture? What challenges and issues are or will they face ?
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