Shift Project warns French cattle farmers of climate and energy squeeze

Laure Le Quere, agro‑ecology and climate expert at the Shift Project, told the 50th anniversary of the Ferme expérimentale des Bordes that cattle breeding will face a double constraint by 2050: the impacts of climate change and a tighter, more expensive energy supply. She explained that while reducing greenhouse‑gas emissions is essential, the sector must also cope with a shrinking availability of fossil fuels.

Le Quere highlighted that the European Union now imports 98 % of its fossil‑fuel energy from 16 suppliers, many of which are nearing peak production. A 10‑20 % contraction in supply is expected within the next decade, which will hit countries without domestic reserves, such as France, especially hard. Agriculture’s reliance on fossil energy is illustrated by the power of an 80‑hp tractor—equivalent to 600 horse‑legs—and the energy intensity of nitrogen fertilizer production, which would require four days of nonstop cycling to generate a single unit of nitrogen. These factors underscore the sector’s vulnerability to both climate and energy challenges.