(02 March 2020) – A former collaborator and long-time friend of AEIDL, Daniel Pujol has just published Paysan autrement (Farmer otherwise), a book that retraces 35 years of experience in the world of agriculture in France and elsewhere in Europe. The book is an original testimony of a rural development activist.
Our agriculture is suffering from a thousand ills, from falling raw material prices and enduring cuts to CAP aid to strong internal competition in Europe, and more challenges are on the horizon, such as the CETA and MERCOSUR agreements and the ‘agribashing’ of polluting farmers.
Following an education in business and a first career in a multinational company, by chance at the age of 32 Daniel Pujol discovered the agriculture in the hostile environment of the Béarn mountains in southwest France.
It was love at first sight. A handful of courageous shepherds and traditional cheesemakers seemed determined to maintain centuries-old activities. Armed with buckets of passion, he set about offering his business know-how, especially in the commercial sphere and the collective organisation of producers.
There followed a nine-year mission in the service of the Pyrenean agri-food industry before he widened his focus to include the whole of southern France, then Spain, Portugal and Romania. During this time, he has also been the reference expert for the LEADER European Observatory on the theme of enhancing the value of local products.
Daniel Pujol is also the author or co-author of the following:
Marketing local products – Short and long distribution channels (AEIDL / LEADER European Observatory, 2000) Also available in DE, ES, FR, IT and PT.
The collective organisation of a sector for the local valorisation of agricultural resources: the example of cheese processing (AEIDL / LEADER European Observatory, 1996) Also available in DE, ES, FR, IT and PT.