 Agro-Food Exports
French agriculture by tradition was always exporting high quality goods
, so-called "de luxe products", (wines, cheese…) which contributed to
reduce the deficit in the trade balance. With the opening of the Agricultural
Common Market and an enlarged EEC, the agro-food French exports increased
regularly including the raw products (cereals, oleaginous plants) until
Europe became itself an exporting entity.
Back to french agriculture
C
CAP
In order to create the CAM (Common Agricultural Market) signed in the
Rome Treaty, six founder countries of the EEC had created a CAP ( Common
Agricultural Policy) based on the organization of markets, the improvement
of facilities, and the protection of internal market. Such politics was
the steering gear of modernization and of the development of the European
and French agriculture; but since 1980 it became "a surplus products machinery".
It implied solidary financial support from the EEC through the "European
fund for agricultural orientation and guarantee" (EFAOG) which increased
so fast that a main reform was necessary in 1992.
Back to French agriculture
D
Development
in agriculture
Modernization, high yields
and intensification in agriculture, lead to a very strong and quick development,at
the expense of great changes in the
level of production as well as in the size of the production units.
Results are clearly seen in the work itself (reduction in number and harshness
of the work), in the yields and in the volume of production, in the specialization
of the production units and in the concentration of the land surfaces
in order to create bigger units. The research of creditworthy outsiding
outlets is now one of the conditions to modernization of all types of
up-to-date agriculture which are in full harsh concurrency on the worldwide
market, notwithstanding the GATT agreements.
Back to Index
Disparity
If the proper qualities of each producer have an influence on the economic
results of the production unit, the geographic context (soil, climate),
the type of production and the economic size, play a major role in the
disparity of the agricultural incomes. In spire of a tendency to a tightening,
strong differences still remain in France, since on half of the production
units (500 000) 10% of them lose money, 35% have an average income lower
than the minimum wage guarantee and 10% have an income higher than 300
000 FF.
back to Index
Diversification
Though modernization leads to a specialization
of the production units due to environmental, economic and social conditions,
diversity and many faces of production still remain. This diversity allows
production units or less productive regions to keep up with an agricultural
activity and/or to find new demands (high quality and typed products,
"green tourism" and rooms to rent at the farm, environmental services…).
back to Index
M
Modernization
The modernization of an agriculture means first an adaptation to any kind
of new technical progress along the way with inventions: mecanization,
motorization, use of fertilizers, use of phytosanitary products (pesticides),
introduction of biological progress (selection, feeding) as well as education
and training to new techniques. "A modernized agriculture" is the contrary
of "a traditional agriculture".
Back to Index
P
Professional
organization
Traditionally French agriculture is characterized by strong and old professional
organizations which played consequently a major role in its evolution.
The interprofessional group which includes the representation of all professional
organisms ( syndicates, agricultural chambers, agricultural, mutual insurance
system …) participated to all the choices in the agricultural politics,
by the means of incitements, in the years 1960, then later on, by a direct
co-management with the governmental power.
Back to Index
P
Productivity
Productivity is the rate between production and one or several factors
of production. It is expressed in quantity or in value. A steady increase
of productivity by the introduction of technical progress is characteristic
of modernized agricultures. It leads to a "productivistic model" specific
of an "intensive agriculture" with high yields and significant monetary
resources using many inputs by hectare or by animal, on large economy
potentials.
Back to Index
World  Homepage
|