agreste

Agreste cahiers n° 2 - juin 2000

In Languedoc-Roussillon the firms in the agri-food sector, a veritable cornerstone of the regional economy, are woven together into a complex tissue : 1,400 firms, 44 billion francs in turnover, 20,000 permanent jobs.

In Languedoc-Roussillon the firms in the agri-food sector, a veritable cornerstone of the regional economy, are woven together into a complex tissue : 1,400 firms, 44 billion francs in turnover, 20,000 permanent jobs. Numerous networks carry products and information among the members of this group, who differ in size, legal status and production. Major efforts have been made to improve product quality. Many regional firms, large or small, have their own brands which are often sustained by a reference to the « terroir », greatly appreciated by consumers. Firms are largely supplied with raw materials from local production areas, notably in wine or cereals, whereas they seek to export their production, particularly in fruits and vegetables. Image-building and marketing policies are not always enough to serve as a basis for a real company strategy. The regional agri-food industry suffers from insufficiant density. Not all the firms are large enough to make the indispensable material and intangible investments to remain competitive, and some show disappointing financial results.