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| Agriculture's key figures |
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In France, 18% of the workforce is employed by the agro-food sector |
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In 2010, 970,000 people were working in farming 1.
According to various estimates, these jobs are generating from 4 to 5 jobs in other activities2, particularly in agribusiness.
Consequently, close to five million jobs are linked to agriculture, or close to 18 percent of the total workforce3.
These figures also reveal a largely ignored reality: Agriculture is a key sector for generating employment opportunities. |
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Agriculture and agro-food,
Two interlocking fates
Beyond the indirect employment generated in administration, services, machinery, trade and even tourism, agriculture is the linchpin of agribusiness growth.
As France’s second largest industrial employer following the engineering industry, with close to 500,000 jobs4, agribusinesses are locating their operations near agricultural production areas.
The rationale for site selection is the same as for many other industries: Reduction of transportation costs and better quality control.
Lowering our agricultural production capabilities would lead to the risk of relocation of agribusiness operations. The risk increases with the elimination of farms (a 25 percent drop since 2000).
Are we doing all it takes to protect the “Made in France” label of our agricultural products? |
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Not always, as shown by the increase of agricultural imports and the growing reliance on some agricultural goods: 70 percent of our sheep meat consumption comes from foreign breeders. France’s performance––one out of two hectares producing grain is exported––must not hide the fact that the European Union is posting a huge deficit5.
Agriculture remains a key sector for national employment, although the agricultural workforce has been reduced by a factor of six during the past 50 years 6.
At the same time, production volumes have more than doubled between 1960 and 2010, from under 10 million tons to over 30 million tons7. The increase was made possible by powerful innovation––mechanization, crop fertilization as well as plant and animal selection… Consequently, wheat yields increased from less than 20 hundredweight/hectare in the 1950s to more than 70 today8.
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Agriculture must be considered as the linchpin of a highly strategic value chain for employment. Let’s not forget that agriculture is a sector with outstanding growth potential––plus 70 percent by 2050––due to the global population explosion.
As major nations (Brazil, Russia, China and the United States) are developing their agricultural aspirations, it is crucial for France and the EU to outline ambitious agricultural policies focused on food security. |
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1 1,022,300 jobs when we include the overseas départements, 2010 Agricultural Census, French Ministry of Agriculture.
2 Estimates from the Permanent Assembly of Chambers of Agriculture. Other more restrictive studies estimate the ratio to be between 1 and 2.
3 28 million people in 2010, as indicated by the National Institute of Statistics (INSEE).
4 Estimée à 28 millions de personnes en 2010 par l’INSEE
5 477,000 people in 2010, as indicated the National Association of Agribusinesses.
6 The EU agro-food trade recorded a deficit of $25 billion in 2010 (WTO).
7 6.2 million people were employed in agriculture in 1955. Sources: Agreste and French Ministry of Agriculture
7 FAO : www.fao.org
8 Ib. |
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