Springtime in the country
By Cillas - Own work, GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9804663
Here in the UK the daffodils are out and the countryside is greening. In Paris, the 54th Salon International d’Agriculture SIA was held at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris at the end of February and beginning of March, bringing the life and traditions of rural France into the city. It is held during school half-term, and last year the show attracted over 690,000 visitors. There are halls exhibiting and selling the food and drink of every region of France, for showcasing agricultural practice and machinery, crop growing, organic farming and horticulture.
It does not shy away from bringing animals closer to the public. The largest hall is where most of the 3,500 animals are on show, with a very comprehensive selection of breeds of live cows, bulls, sheep, goats and pigs. It is an amazing spectacle, says one recent visitor (our own Jenny Deeprose).
It also has the added value of bringing those who make the food, closer to those who eat it. As a result, the French are very sympathetic to farmers’ issues and their strikes tend to be met with agreement, not puzzlement. The urban dwellers know where their milk for the butter and the wheat for their bread comes from.
This is not the case in other countries. Although in the UK, the move of the television show, Countryfile, from a morning slot to an evening slot has garnered far bigger audiences. I would also hope that the exploration of the countryside engenders more sympathy and interest in rural people’s challenges in bringing food to the national tables. Far fewer farmers today are making enough food to feed many urban dwellers, and we must appreciate the hard work that is put in to make our food safe and healthy. Shows like the SIA and television outlets can help tie us into our dairy and food suppliers.
