It’s official: after six years of reign of Christiane Lambert, the FNSEA, the first French agricultural union, passes into the hands of Arnaud Rousseau, who officially takes over the presidency this Thursday, April 13. Without surprise. He was the only candidate.
1. Agribusinessman
In terms of style, the new president, 49, contrasts with the loud-mouthed pig breeder to whom he succeeds. Fitted suit and diploma from the European Business School in Paris place him at first sight on the side of businessmen: “Even more than others, it embodies an agriculture linked to agro-industry”, estimated with AFP Nicolas Girod, spokesperson for the Confédération paysanne, a minority union classified on the left. First vice-president of the FNSEA since 2020, he was in charge of negotiations on the distribution of the annual 9 billion euros of European funds for the CAP (common agricultural policy).
2. Great cultures
After a spell in trading, Arnaud Rousseau took over the family farm in Seine-et-Marne in the early 2000s. 700 hectares of field crops: rapeseed, sunflower, beets, wheat and corn. In 2014, he became mayor of his town, Trocy-en-Multien, 240 inhabitants. He succeeds this time to… his father and his great-grandfather.
3. King of Oils
While he has few points in common with Christiane Lambert, he has many with another of his predecessors at the head of the FNSEA, Xavier Beulin, who chaired the Avril group (ex-Sofiprotéol) until his sudden death in 2017
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