Natural Resources and Agricultural Markets in France

France is a large European country with administrative regions and territories throughout the world. Some of these overseas jurisdictions are French Guyana on the South American continent, Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Caribbean, and Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, amongst others. In total, France’s national territory accounts for more than 640.000 square kilometers, which equates to approximately the same size as Texas. Its varied geography and diversity of climates represents a great geostrategic asset for France as well as an advantage for its agricultural industry. France has a total population of almost 67 million citizens, making it the second most populated country in Western Europe, after Germany. Furthermore, more than 75% of the French population lives in major cities and other urban settings.

Currently, France’s annual gross domestic product (GDP) exceeds US$2.5 trillion, representing the third largest economy in Europe. Similarly, France is a member of the group of twenty (G20) richest economies in the world. However, since the 2008 financial crisis, France has experienced sluggish economic growth averaging 1.0% annually. The French national economy is divided into 2% agriculture, 20% manufacturing, and 78% services. However, the agriculture industry utilizes about 53% of the national territory, while another 29% is forested. Likewise, the French agricultural industry employs 3% of the national labor force, while manufacturing employs about 21% and services employ another 76%.

Given its varied geography both in metropolitan Europe and throughout the world, France has an enormous amount of natural resources including coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, gypsum, timber, arable land, fish, gold deposits, petroleum, and clay. Within the manufacturing industry, France is focused on heavy machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, high-end electronics, textiles, and food processing. Likewise, a large sector of the French economy is dependent upon the tourism industry. Meanwhile, the country’s agricultural industry has as main products wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, grapes & wine, beef, dairy products, and fish. Furthermore, as a founding member of the European Union, France benefits from subsidies and industry protections under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Similarly, the country has used the Euro as its official currency since its creation in 1999. This article explores the status of the economy and agricultural markets in France.

Natural Resources and Agricultural Markets in France

In terms of trade, France’s main partners are fellow EU members, particularly Germany, Spain, Belgium, and Italy, as well as the United Kingdom and the United States. Throughout recent years, the average per capita protein intake of animal origin amongst the French population has been of 72 grams daily. Meanwhile, cereals, roots, and tubers supply about 29% of the average French food energy intake.

Simultaneously, land use in France has evolved throughout the last half century. During the early 1960s, pastures and meadows in France covered over 13 million hectares, while arable land totaled more than 19 million hectares and permanent crops accounted for approximately 1.7 million hectares. Today, pastures and meadows in France account for less than 10 million hectares, while arable land represents little over 18 million hectares and permanent crops cover less than 1 million hectares.

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