Because of the increase in tourism in the north, many of the land that has hitherto belonged to crops has been used for the construction of infrastructure and new housing. “Several farmers’ groups were concerned about this serious problem,” explains Dominique Ameztoy, a member of the Basque Agricultural Union (ELB). “The result of this concern is the Lurzaindia that was created in early 2013.”

The collective is the union of other groups that had previously fought for agricultural land: ELB, Arrapitz, Euskal Herriko Laborantza ganbara (EHLG) and Inter Amap (made up of families betting on maintaining popular cultivation). The role of the landlord is that they should be the first to acquire the fund provided that a monetary fund is created through contributions paid by their members and that they are about to sell all the cultivated land. In this way, this land becomes the property of Lurzaindia, which leaves the market, and cannot be resold. It may be used by farmers, but without private ownership.

“In the French State there is an organisation with the right to decide on the sale of all sites, SAFER. If any landlord wants to sell a land, the buyer must first talk to that entity and, if he can, ask for a price review,” explains Ameztoy. We always want to be the first to do that, to be able to access that land before any construction company.”

To take care of the land, you have to be alert.

Custody is divided into three parts: on the one hand, the general assembly which brings together all the members of the collective who pay the share; on the other hand, the group responsible for managing the money for the sale of land, called ERNE; and, finally, the supervisory and ethical council. “The collective has taken control of another society that existed in the 1980s. This company was occasionally engaged in fundraising campaigns for the purchase of properties for sale and their land. When we created Lurzaindia, we welcomed the sixteen farms that this society had bought. The difference is that thanks to the SCA formula we can be raising money non-stop, that is, we don’t have to ask any entity for permission to raise money.”

As the group is relatively new, no new land has yet been acquired, in addition to the 16 inherited farms. To this day they have already raised around 240,000 euros, but they are still in the process of buying and selling: looking at some lands, negotiating others, in contact with SAFER… But above all, in front of speculators: “Farmers want to communicate that we are experiencing a serious problem and that we will not stand idly by. In addition, we have also been given money by some townhouses. This means that we also have some municipalities of Ipar Euskal Herria in our favor,” said Dominique Ameztoy.