Document type : article published in France3 Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur
Author: Mélanie Philips
Preview: At the 3rd annual Semaine Provençale in Salon-de-Provence, the spotlight is on transhumance, the seasonal droving of livestock, celebrating UNESCO's recognition of this ancient practice as part of the "intangible cultural heritage of humanity". To mark the occasion, on May 11, the Château de l'Empéri was transformed into a vast sheepfold, and a livestock truck was on hand to raise awareness on the subject. Last December, transhumance was placed on the representative list of the "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" by UNESCO. This ancestral practice was honored during the 3rd annual celebration of the Semaine Provençale in Salon-de-Provence. As Claire Dallemagne, in charge of "La routo" at the Maison de la transhumance, so aptly recalls, this practice involves the movement of flocks from one piece of land to another, over long distances (100 km) in search of grazing. "Our sheep eat fresh grass, and in Provence, during the summer, our grass is very dry. So we go up to the mountains and stay there in summer. It's a cycle that follows the growth of the grass", she explains .
"We're under increasing pressure from animal rights activists"
While the droving used to be done on foot, in today's world it has been modernized and uses animal transport vehicles. That's why, for this third event, we are here in Salon-de-Provence, "to show the general public what it's like, because there are a lot of questions asked surrounding the road transport of animals", Claire comments. Many people think that sheep are transported in poor conditions. Émilie Proust Imbert, a ewe farmer and transporter from Salon, was on hand with her livestock truck to tell us what she has to put up with on a daily basis. "On the roads, we're increasingly subjected to pressure from animal rights activists", she says. However, in her view, this is a positive thing: "They find it hard to understand that nowadays, the animals arrive directly at the mountain pastures within 4 hours, whereas before, they had to walk for 15 - 17 days." Claire adds that "when the herds walk on surfaced roads, their hooves bleed. It's not pleasant to have to walk for several days, every day, on tarmac. It's very hot." "Animal transport vehicles are a bit of a bête noire for the livestock industry because [the public] think the animals are mistreated. But we're transporting farmers' assets, so we're obviously very careful about animal welfare," continues the transporter. We don't stop on the motorways any more, because we've had people try to open the doors to let the animals out, people who stop us at the tolls. She adds that the lorries are equipped with fans that move the air continuously. And when the hot weather arrives, they adapt their transport routines. "We load up at 2-3am, and arrive around midday, before it gets too hot", she explains. Claire Dallemagne raises another difficulty in trying to continue traditional droving methods. "Ewes have a very particular way of walking: they walk very early in the morning, then they take a break all day, then they walk again in the evening. And while they're not doing anything, they need grassy areas where they can eat, rest and drink. And that's no longer possible." Every year, 600,000 ewes leave our region for the Alps.
