José Bové facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José Bové
|
|
|---|---|
Bové in 2009
|
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joseph Bové
11 June 1953 Talence, France |
| Alma mater | Bordeaux Montaigne University |
| Occupation | Farmer, politician, syndicalist |
Joseph "José" Bové (born 11 June 1953) is a French farmer and activist. He is known for speaking up for farmers and for his work against certain types of global trade. He was a spokesman for a group called Via Campesina. José Bové also ran for president in France in 2007. Later, he served as a member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2019. He was part of the European Green Party.
Contents
Early Life and Education
José Bové was born in Talence, a town near Bordeaux, France. However, he grew up in many different places. As a child, he lived both in France and in other countries, including the United States.
When he was three, his parents moved to Berkeley, California. They were researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. Because of this, José Bové learned to speak English very well. After living in the U.S., his family returned to Paris, France. José went to a private school there. He later refused to join the army as a conscientious objector. This means he did not want to fight in wars because of his beliefs. While waiting for his court case, he worked on a farm.
Standing Up for Farmers
In 1976, José Bové joined a protest movement called the Fight for the Larzac. This group was against a plan to make a military camp bigger on the Larzac plateau. The plan would have forced many sheep farmers to leave their homes. It would also have changed the environment of the area. José Bové joined farmers who were living on the land. They even built a sheep barn there illegally. The protest worked, and the government stopped the military plan. After this experience, José Bové became a sheep farmer himself. He started making Roquefort cheese.
Creating a Farmers' Union
José Bové continued to be both a farmer and an activist. In 1987, he helped start the Confédération Paysanne. This is a union for farmers. The union works to improve life for people and protect the environment. They support organic farming, which means growing food without harmful chemicals. José Bové is also strongly against genetically modified organisms (GMOs). These are plants or animals whose genes have been changed by scientists.
In 1995, he joined Greenpeace on their ship, the Rainbow Warrior. They sailed to protest nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific Ocean.
The McDonald's Protest
José Bové and the Confédération Paysanne became famous around the world in 1999. They took apart a McDonald's restaurant that was being built in Millau, France. José Bové's supporters saw this as a peaceful protest. He did it to protest new rules from the U.S. that made it harder to sell French products like Roquefort cheese. These rules hurt farmers who depended on selling their cheese. He also wanted to make people aware that McDonald's used beef treated with hormones.
José Bové was sent to prison for three months because of this protest. He spent 44 days in jail and was released early in August 2002.
Global Activism
José Bové has taken part in many movements that are called anti-globalization or alter-globalization. These movements question how global trade and big companies work. In 2001, he explained why he protested McDonald's. He said it was a fight against a certain way of doing business around the world. He said it was not just about America, but about the way the economic system works.
In 1997, he protested against genetically modified crops. That same year, he joined protests in Seattle against a meeting of the World Trade Organization. José Bové became a well-known figure in the anti-globalization movement.
He has continued his work with farmers and anti-globalization groups worldwide. He says he does not oppose global rules or organizations like the WTO. Instead, he believes these rules should be made in a more democratic way. José Bové is also a founding member of ATTAC, a group that works for fair global trade.
In 2001, José Bové helped destroy genetically modified crops in Brazil. In 2005, he encouraged people to vote "No" in a French vote about the EU Constitution. The proposal was defeated.
Activism and Consequences
José Bové has faced consequences for his protests. In 1976, he was briefly imprisoned for destroying military documents during the Larzac protest.
In 2002, he was sentenced to three months in prison for the McDonald's protest. He served 44 days before being released. In 2003, he was sentenced to ten months for destroying genetically modified crops. The French President reduced his sentence. In 2005, he was sentenced to four months in jail for destroying genetically engineered corn.
In 2006, José Bové was stopped at JFK Airport in New York. He was not allowed to enter the U.S. because of his past protests. He was sent back to Paris. In 2016, he was also denied entry to Canada for similar reasons. However, he was later allowed to stay for seven days.
Political Career
In January 2007, José Bové announced he would run for president in the 2007 French presidential election. His supporters had gathered 40,000 signatures to encourage him. He said he was fighting for "the people that have no voice." He wanted to unite different left-wing groups. He also aimed to challenge right-wing political parties that were becoming popular. The famous actress Juliette Binoche supported him. José Bové received 1.32% of the votes in the first round of the election.
After the presidential election, José Bové became more involved with Europe Écologie. This is a group of French environmental political parties, including the Green Party. In the 2009 European Parliament election, he led the list of candidates for the South-West area of France. On June 7, 2009, he was elected to the European Parliament. He was re-elected in the 2014 European Parliament election.
See also
In Spanish: José Bové para niños
- List of peace activists
- Marie Bové
- Elizabeth Mpofu
- Guy Kastler
