Today, many people are interested in food-producing agriculture in France. It is an agriculture mainly intended for the self-consumption of farmers and local populations. It is less deviated towards the agri-food industries and export products. Indeed, it is largely devoted to the subsistence economy.
Why is food crop farming in France in demand?
As mentioned above, food-producing agriculture is an agriculture intended for self-consumption. Farmers, the local population as well as animals depend heavily on this agriculture. Any country seeking to minimize its imported products practices this type of agriculture. Imported products are often less assured, especially when it comes to food products. Many countries exporting food crops are only seeking to maximize their profits without worrying mainly about unexpected adverse effects. Indeed, the government encourages its farmers to improve their production strategies in order to provide their local populations with suitable food crops. The import price of food crops is also one of the reasons why the French government is pushing for the adoption of food crop farming.
The most popular food products in France
Many food products exist in France. Food products can be classified into three types: starchy foods, cereals and, fruit and vegetables. The starchy foods most cultivated in France are bananas, manioc, yams, sweet potatoes and taro. These starches are grown in several regions of France. As far as cereals are concerned, farmers grow corn, rice, sorghum, fonios, but above all wheat. Wheat is the most cultivated cereal in France. As for fruits, most types can be found there: pineapple, mango, orange, avocado and many others. Various types of vegetables also exist in France: carrots, courgettes, green beans, cucumbers and many others. The French use very particular ways of growing fruits and vegetables since they are sometimes eaten raw. They are then very strict about the fertilizers they use.
Links between food agriculture and trade
Trade has a direct impact on food agriculture. In most countries, exports and imports of food crops have a very large impact on the food supply. The existence of imports can reform local products. It pushes farmers to stimulate change and innovation in domestic production in order to achieve higher productivity. In other words, food farmers are forced to improve their productivity as they compete with imported products. Exports can contribute to poverty reduction since the revenues will contribute to improving the lives of low-income populations. Food crops can flourish as exports if productivity is high and quality is maintained.
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