The Ministry of Agriculture have just released the latest figures on the state of French agriculture 2020. In the last 10 years France has lost just over 100,000 farms, from 490,000 farms in 2010 to 389,000 in 2020.Despite the absolute decline in farm numbers organic agriculture has risen from 3% to 12% in ten years and the amount of land farmed has barely shifted.

However the amount of land farmed has only dropped 1% to 26.7 million hectares, that is roughly 50% of the total land mass of France. This is because the average farm size has risen by 25% from 41 hectares in 2010 to 69 in 2020. Despite this rise French farms remain relatively small compared to other industrialised farming countries, in the UK the average farm size is 81 hectares, 79 in Denmark, and minute compared to our transatlantic cousins, 322 hectares in Canada and 178 in the USA,

The growth in farms sizes is different in each sector, the average vineyard has grown from 16 to 19 hectares, horticulture from 9 to 12 hectares, whereas dairy farms have risen from 78 to 106, beef farms 65 to 85 and cereals 77 to 87.

Within those figures there has also be a gradual shift away from animals towards vegetable production, 52% of farms are now dedicated to vegetable production and 37% to livestock, The mixed farming model has remained relatively steady at 10%.

Cereal production uses 43%¨of the worked agricultural land, pasture 42% and horticulture 3.8%.

Farm ownership has also shifted, in 2010 70% of farms were owned by the farmers, this has dropped by 11% to 58% in 2020.

What has radically altered is those farms that are now certified organic producers, this has risen from 3.7% in 2010 to 12.1% in 2020. The way farmers sell that produce has also shifted slightly with local sales now accounting for 23% of sales.

The demographics of farmers has also shifted, 25% are now over 60, 58% over 50. Women account for 25% of farmers pretty much the same as 2010.

The total number of agricultural workers, farmers and workers combined,  has dropped dramatically from 740,000 in 2010 to 659;000 in 2020, a drop of 11%.

Of the four farm sizes that the Ministry track on the number of very large farms have increased. Those farms that have a revenue of over 250,000 euro a year with an average size of 136  hectares now make up 18% of all the farms in France, from 75,000 in 2010 to 77,000 in 2020.

At the other end of the scale micro farms, like ours, with a brute revenue of below 25,000 euro a year and an average farms size of 12 hectares now make up 29% of all the farms in France having seen a drop of 48,000 in ten years, now down to 108,000 in 202O

Small farms, those with an annual revenue of 25 to 100, 000 euro per year and an average size of 48 hectares, make up 26% of farms, a drop from 131,000 in 2010 to 104,000 in 2020.

Medium farms, those with a brute revenue of 100,000 to 250,000 euro and an average size of 99 hectares, make up 25% of farms, down by 21,000 in 2010 to 101,000 in 2020.

On a positive note the level of education of France’s farmers has radically increased. There are around 800 specialised agriculture and food institutions in France, with a high decree of local specialisms reflecting local environment, agricultural history and culture. Over 200,000 pupils study agriculture and related subjects every year in France. This investment has had a real impact on the training of farmers in the last ten years. In 2020 83% of farmers under 4O have passed the bac, and 43% have a diploma,, as opposed to 30% bac and 15% diploma in the over 59 age group.

In France the food system, from farm to folk represents around 3.4 million workers, 1.2 in and around agriculture, 550,000 in the transformation industry, 400,000 in forestry and wood, and around 100,000 in fishing and aquiculture.

Just a quick note on organic farming. France now has 47,000 organic farmers working 2.5 million hectares of land, that is 12% of the total, up from 3% 10 years ago.  The average organic farm size is slightly smaller than industrial farms, at 61 hectares.  It would seem that the younger and more educated farmers have a much higher involvement in organic production techniques, 27% of farmers under 40 are certified organic. 47% of those have a diploma as opposed to the industry standard on 25%. In my opinion this bodes well for the future growth of organic production.

For my union, the Confed Paysanne the last decade has seen a mass firing of framers hidden underneath the mantle of modernisation 

See the Press briefing  on the State of  French farming 2020 

On the 14th December they will release the regional figures so I will have a look at the Occitanie region next week to see how we compare to the general trend