Les agriculteurs et la politique agricole en 1972 : premiers résultats d'une enquête sur les opinions et les comportements
Authors: Mainié Philippe , Guillon J-P. , Palau M. , Vibert P. 
Published: October 2009

Farmers and farm policy in 1972 - First results of a survey on opinions and behaviour

The objective of this research is to study models of individual behaviour of farmers. More specifically, the aim is to see whether an economic classification based on the rate and tupe of change occuring on the farms is consistent with a sociological classification using as indicator the degree of adoption by the farmers of the values and symbols of global society. The main hypothesis being tested is that there is a relationship between what the farmers do on their farm and what their opinions are on various questions concerning their life as farmers. This should help forecasting and decision making. ; A second hypothesis concerns the low degree of farmer's participation in the farm organizations and institutions. Can one simply put the blame on individualism ? Whe think that the present system of represent tation of members in the organizations increases the part played by a shrinking number of leaders with correlative disinterest of the rest of the membership. ; The study involves the analysis of samples of 220 farmers each in ten different areas - in all 2 200 farmers were interviewed. ; Three types of farming are found side by side : ; 1- Subsistence-level farming - characterized by the small size of the farms, the inhabitants low standard of living, their lack of contacts with the outside world and with ministerial or professional bodies. It wakes up 15 % - 20 % of the total number of farmers, and 5 to 10 % of cultivated land ; 30 % of them have addiitonal income derived from a non- agricultural activity. ; 2 - Traditional farming, - made up of farms that are often quite extensive, represents about 45 % of the farmers and of the total area. Their standard of living is average, their way of life traditional. It is here that the greatest proportion of young farmes are to be found. However there is a distinct tendency for them to remain single and for more than one family to live under one roof. These farmers, some of whom are anxious only to increase the size of their farms by investing as little as possible in equipment, are active in professional bodies but have little contact with ministerial services. ; A - Modern farming where there is a great deal of investment, wakes up 35 to 40 % of the farmers and 50 % of the total area. The families standard of living is high. They may be deeply in debt and these business men seem more vulnerable to changes in the economic situation than the others. They have frequent contacts with ministerial services. Many union leaders come from their ranks. ; The leaders, characterized by the closeness of their contacts with government departments and professional bodies, present a very particular picture : younger than the group average, heads of hig families, with a very high standard of living, they use good management methods, often sign integration contracts and invest a great deal. ; They are the active elements of Union life. Contrary to current opinion, they hope that State aid will develop a great deal in the field of adult training, whereas most farmers care only about the prices policy. ; These leaders represent a type of farming that the state might seek to encourage. But they seem isolated and too much in advance to provide a model for the other farmers at present.

In general the imvact of the aid of the Ministry of Agriculture is slight. Apart from social measures (protection, pensions) the other measures are on the whole taken advantage of only 15% of the farmers. ; On the other hand, because each method of evolution of farms represents an individualized economic system, with its own international logic, it is normal that this aid should not offer the same interest for all and that its use should vary greatly. From the poor farmers in the regions with small farms to the heads of farms in the regions with large scale farming, the average use of this aid varies from less than 5 % to about 50%. ; Amongst the different types of aid offered, the most used forms concern social protection. The IVD (pensions schema for retiring farmers) is well-known and present-day farmers also intend to take advantage of it. ; Financial aid in the finding of capital to run the farm is in second position. The use of measures to improve land structures is also quite frequent. ; Value added tax is mainly used by growing farms. The organization of crops (production contracts, grouping of producers) is developing slowly, in spite of the guarantees concerning prices and markets, thus offered to the farmers.

For the future, 35 % of the farmers questioned say they are ready to opt for the system of development plans proposed by the EEC. Most would accept all its demands (book keeping, joining a producers' group, checking). ; The measures concerning vocational training (extension work) and the teaching of farming, are little used except by expanding farmers. ; Finally specific aid for certain forms of products (premiums for calves or nursing cows) or moves that are bold because they challenge classic farming (GAEC, GFA) have tittle impact. ; This analysis of the measures shows that the current evolution (equipment, partial organization of production) do not profoundly modify the methods nor the systems of production. The nine quality within farming has not been reduced. In particular four problems condition the future : ; 1- With regard to the land problem, no major change in the competition between farmers is to be expected in the near future, so far only the smalt farmers have been affected by the tendency to leave the land. The land which was become available will mainly be that of traditional or modern farmers who give up farming but who frequently have successors. The most dynamic among them will compete more and more fiercely with each other to find land in the present framework. Private or collective acquisition of land is a question that will be at the heart of future thought about agricultural policy. ; 2- The lack of young farmers may become more apparent in the next few years. ; 3 - The need to make credit easier to obtain is quoted by all categories of farmers. This question is linked to that of development plans. ; 4 - Finally the desire for a firmer control of the type of crop produced is a major preoccupation of almost half the farmers, who are painfully aware of the insecurity of the sale prices of their crops.