agreste

Agreste cahiers n° 2 - juin 2000

Agriculture occupies 40 % of Europe’s land. The number of farmers continues to decline, as does the number of family workers, whereas the number of paid farm labourers is rising with the growth in farm size.

Agriculture occupies 40 % of Europe’s land. The number of farmers continues to decline, as does the number of family workers, whereas the number of paid farm labourers is rising with the growth in farm size. Clear divergences can be seen between the different countries, concerning as much agriculture’s place in the economy as farm structure and dominant orientations. Generally, Southern Europe is characterised by small farms, producing mostly permanent crops, worked by older farmers. In contrast, in Northern Europe, farms are much larger and livestock production often prevails. In all countries, specialisation and the concentration of production continue, but at different levels : the number of productive farms is decreasing, but average acreage of the different crops and average herd sizes are increasing.