Fewer farms but still as much agricultural area. According to figures released this Friday by the agricultural census 2020, metropolitan France has only 389,000 farms. This is 21% less (around 100,000) than ten years ago. ” If the
decline in the number of farms is continuous since the 1970s, the downward dynamic has been weaker than during the previous decade: the decline was -2.3% per year between 2010 and 2020, against -3.0% per year between 2000 and 2010 ”, puts into perspective the Ministry of Agriculture.
This decennial census “was based on 200,000 questionnaires sent to farmers, supplemented by 100,000 meetings in the field by 1,500 investigators”, specifies Julien Denormandie, Minister of Agriculture who presented, this Friday morning, “that the first results of this study “.
Growing operations
If the number of farms is falling, this census also shows that the agricultural area has remained the same, with only a drop of 1% compared to 2010. It stands today at 26.7 million hectares, ” or nearly 50% of our metropolitan area, ”points out Julien Denormandie.
The farms have grown and now cover an average of 69 hectares, or 14 hectares more than in 2010 (+ 25%). “It’s an increase that remains reasonable. We are far from the size of some farms outside Europe, like in the United States where the average size is 178 hectares, ”argues the Minister of Agriculture.
An aging agricultural population
In 2020, 759,000 people have permanent jobs on farms. This is the equivalent of 583,000 full-time jobs, a drop of 12% in ten years. Currently, 58% of heads of farms and co-farmers are 50 years old or over, a figure that has increased by six points since 2010. This aging of the agricultural population places France before the colossal challenge of succeeding in renewing its generations of farmers, while one in two will arrive at Julien Denormandie still notes a reassuring figure in this national census. “The share of farmers under 40 (105,000 or 20%) has remained stable compared to 2010, he insists. This is proof that the agricultural sector continues to be attractive to the French, even if we still have to work on certain aspects of these professions, in particular remuneration. The number of new installations each year also remains “relatively stable”, around 14,000. A rate that will however have to be increased to 20,000 in the coming years to balance retirements and thus ensure this renewal of generations, assesses Julien Denormandie.
Representativeness of women to be improved
Still on the profile of French farmers, the Minister of Agriculture identifies another challenge for the coming years: that of increasing the proportion of women among farm managers. “It is still under 30%, a small part which is all the more paradoxical as we have now reached parity in technical agricultural education,” explains Julien Denormandie. There is even a significant majority of female students in higher agricultural education. “
The Minister sees in this gap the imperative to continue the work on the improvement of working conditions in agriculture. “Several projects have been launched to improve support for farmers, in particular on the right to respite, parental leave,” he begins. The France 2030 plan also plans to invest in improving the working conditions of farmers. “
Is the livestock sector in free fall?
This photograph of the France farm shows diversified agriculture with now majority plant production. Currently, 52% of farms are specialized in crop production against 45% ten years earlier. Their number has fallen less sharply (-9%) than the average (-21%) of farms.
On the other hand, farms specializing in breeding show a fall of 31%. The drop is even more marked (-41%) among farms combining several types of livestock (milk and meat) or among farms combining crops and livestock (-41%). In addition, the number of farms in the overseas departments amounts to 26,000. Their average surface is 5 hectares. In total, France therefore has 416,000 farms.