Christiane Lambert

Christiane Lambert (née Foulier ; born 25 June 1961) is a French farmer and agricultural Trade union who has headed the Fédération Nationale des Syndicats d’Exploitants Agricoles (National Federation of Agricultural Holders' Unions) since 2017. Since 2020, she has been president of the COPA-COGECA (Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations - General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives).
== Early life ==
Born in Saint-Flour, Puy-de-Dôme (Cantal) in 1961, Christiane Lambert is the daughter of Guy Foulier and Marie Berthuy, farmers and Activism in the Jeunesse Catholique Agricole (Catholic Agricultural Youth). At the age of 19, she obtained the Brevet de technicien supérieur techniques agricole (Advanced Agricultural Technician Certificate farming techniques) from the Saint-Dominique Institute in Le Puy-en-Velay. In the same year, she set up her own Dairy farming of 25 hectares and 40 pigs in Massiac. A former handball champion and parishioner, she lost her father in a work accident in 1985. In 1987, she married Thierry Lambert and had three children. In 1989, she became co-manager with her husband of her parents-in-law's Mixed farming|mixed farm, based on Pig farming|pig breeding in Bouillé-Ménard, in Maine-et-Loire. This farm is a Groupement Agricole d'Exploitation en Commun (Collective Farming Grouping) including 106 hectares of crops (maize, wheat, barley, Peas and Rapeseed) for a 230 sows farrow-to-finish Pig farming. 
== Union activities ==
At the age of 20, Christiane Lambert started her union activities by becoming the chairwoman of the Centre Cantonal des Jeunes Agriculteurs (Cantonal Centre of Young Farmers) in Massiac. She remained in this position until 1984. From 1982 to 1988, she was Vice president of the Centre Départemental des Jeunes Agriculteurs (Departmental Centre of Young Farmers) of Cantal and first chairperson of the Centre Régional des Jeunes Agriculteurs (Regional Centre of Young Farmers) of Auvergne in 1986. In 1994, she obtained the title of the first chairwoman of the Centre National des Jeunes Agriculteurs (National Centre of Young Farmers) until 1998. From 1999 to 2005, she was elected to Forum des Agriculteurs Responsables Respecteux de l'Environnement (Environmentally responsible farmer's forum) and VIVEA (a continuing education funds for farmers).
In the meantime, she was president of the Fédération Départementale des Syndicats d'Exploitants Agricoles (Departmental Federation of Farmers' Unions) from 2001 to 2011. In 2010, she became the deputy chairwoman of the Fédération nationale des syndicats d'exploitants agricoles (National Federation of Agricultural Holders' Unions). After the death of Xavier Beulin in 2017, she was acting president of the Fédération nationale des syndicats d'exploitants agricoles and was elected first chairwoman on 29 March 2017 at the Brest Congress. Her presidency became offical on 13 April 2017 during the board meeting. 
After being officially elected and adopting a Reformism vision, Christiane Lambert wished to promote teamwork and orientations led by Xavier Beulin to defend agriculture. From a national perspective, "defending Agriculture involves to communicate with civil society by putting forward: organic farming, animal welfare, strenghtening producer organisations, obtaining agreements in trade negotiations within the framework of the Sapin 2 law to obtain Fair price for producers". From a European point of view, she wanted to reduce "the gaps of Competition (economics) by adjusting sanitary and social rules".
Christiane Lambert communicated her willingness to advance and protect the farming profession by guarantying them fair Income. Her wish was in line with the Etats Généraux de l'Alimentation (General States of Food), set up by Emmanuel Macron in order to offer "fair pays to farmers and quality food to the population". These goals were achieved by "the commitment charter signed on 14 November 2017 by Farmer|farmers, processing and Distribution (marketing)|distribution representatives including the presence of the French Minister of Agriculture Stéphane Travert and the Secretary to the French Minister of the Economy, Finance and Employment (France)|Minister of the Economy, Benjamin Griveaux". To complete the agreement and in line with the FARRE, Christiane Lambert decided to put in the place the "solutions contract for a green and digital agriculture" by removing Pesticide and using crop protection technologies to fight against climate change. 
At the end of the International Planet A Forum held on 29 June 2018 in Châlons-en-Champagne, Christiane Lambert and Pascal Canfin, General Director of WWF France (World Wide Fund for Nature|World Wide Fund for Nature) joined forces to further prosperous and sustainable agriculture. Their aim is the "artificialisation of land, the development of Mechanization|methanisation, the fair distribution of value between all the Stakeholder (corporate)|stakeholders in the Agrifood|agri-food chain and the protection of farmers against other agricultures". In 2018, she launched the Agridemain movement which aims to "change the image of agriculture among the general public".
On 18 September 2020, Christiane Lambert became the president of the COPA-COGECA|Comité des Organisations Professionnelles Agricoles - Comité Général de la Coopération Agricole de l'Union Européenne (Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations - General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives). She manages the presidency of COPA-COGECA as well as the Fédération nationale des syndicats d'exploitants agricoles|FNSEA.
== Honors ==
On 29 November 2017, Christiane Lambert received the "2017 Women of Political Influence Price awarded by the club Génération femmes d'influence (Influence Generation Women Club) who promotes female entrepreneurship and she dedicated it to all women farmers". On 1 January 2021, she got the Legion of Honour|Legion of Honor.
Category:1961 births
Category:French farmers
Category:French trade unionists
Category:People from Cantal