Rural France is changing

Among its greatest assets, France can rely on its countryside. Indeed, rural France seems to attract tourists from all over the country and the world. Even though it has become a symbol of France’s character and gastronomy, this centenary world now faces a crisis.

France is by far the biggest beneficiary of the Common Agricultural Policy, receiving about $54 billion a year, but the revenues are unequally distributed. As large exploitations receive huge amounts of money, further encouraging the use intensive agricultural techniques, smallholding farmers’ situation is getting tougher and tougher. Indeed, thanks to industrial techniques, the productivity goes up and fewer farmers are required to produce the same quantity of food. Some farms can afford to lower their prices thanks to their massive production and the subsidies they get, but smaller farms can’t compete against the ever-lower prices.

However, these small declining businesses are now finding other ways to make ends meet, often in both their interest and the tourists’. Some farmers choose to diversify their activity and produce traditional quality products such as cheese and beer, and see their income grow. Others decide to operate more radical change and go from growing cereals to breeding horses, or opening a Bed and Breakfast in the French countryside for example. By going for these alternative solutions, farmers manage to recover from their economical situation and ensure the survival of rural France. It is now possible to enjoy the charm of authentic, rural landscapes by sleeping in an isolated French gite, or by buying a guesthouse in France, and running your own!

Source: Time Magazine