I am 27 years old. Before starting this training course at Campus Vert d'Azur, I worked as a computer scientist. I did that job for four years. Sitting in front of a computer all day was driving me crazy. I wondered how I had ended up there.

I started my professional career when I was 15, working in metalworking, followed by years of temporary jobs. Mostly crappy jobs. I even worked in a waste sorting centre. The waste flies past you at high speed. I got terrible headaches. The job involves grabbing the waste very quickly, which is really hard. One of my colleagues had his arm torn off because the machines were going too fast. It didn't last long, but it made me really aware of the situation. It's mind-boggling how much waste we produce.

Then I worked in factories in Grasse. These chemical industries produce food flavourings. They put that stuff in our food. It's horrible. The smell was awful. I only lasted four months. It took me two months to regain my sense of smell after I left. I couldn't smell anything anymore. There was this persistent strawberry smell in my nose. This experience also guided my choice today, having seen the other side of the food that is offered to us. Processed. I realised that we are really being fed disgusting stuff. Everything changed. I wanted to learn how to use plants to treat myself, and then I decided that I had to try to understand life as a whole. Five years ago, I started working with the Évaléco association in Gréolières. It's a third place. They offered me a two-year agricultural apprenticeship.

As part of my civic service, I worked in agriculture, acquiring more skills as I became more professional. Since starting the BP REA training course, I've had access to lots of information. It's excellent, and I'm very happy with what we're learning. The trainers and other students are fantastic. My goal is not to feed the world. If people want to eat, they need to learn for themselves and stop relying on supermarkets. Now, when I go into a supermarket, I feel uncomfortable. Seeing food wrapped in plastic isn't normal — it drives me crazy! Vegetables grow in the ground — you shouldn't wrap them in plastic!

First, I wanted to learn how to feed myself. Then I can help everyone around me. For now, I don't want to commercialise it. I'd like to find a way that doesn't involve money. Unfortunately, the world is shaped by money. However, I don't want making money to be the purpose of my job.

I really like the third place model, like the one where I work. We welcome people and serve them produce that we've grown ourselves. I don't just work in agriculture; I also do a lot of cooking.

I'm learning a lot. I also forage for wild plants. I've learnt the names of all the local plants and their properties. My primary goal was to reconnect with nature and adopt a healthier lifestyle. At Évaléco in Gréolières, we now have a team of almost twenty people. I live in my caravan there half the time.

I am in my first year of an apprenticeship at the Campus. I have already gained some experience in planting, but I need to develop my skills further. No one in my family has done this job before. What pushed me in this direction was the realisation of how dependent we are. Society is heading towards implosion, and people who are unaware of the world around them and overly dependent on supermarkets are going to fight each other over a box of ravioli at the checkout. I don't want to kill or be killed in supermarkets, so I would rather grow my own food.

One day, I'd like to go away for at least six months — perhaps to South America — to do some farming, learn different techniques and get to know other plants and cultures. I might even have a pied-à-terre in Peru — it's one of the cradles of global food agriculture, after all. There are lots of incredible ideas that come from there.

Mathurin