Year after yr, the variety of farmers declines in France. From 1,000,000 and a half within the Seventies, there at the moment are lower than 500,000. And but, agriculture continues to form landscapes and have political affect, as proven by the mobilizations in opposition to the well being administration of bovine dermatosis and the free commerce settlement between the European Union and Mercosur.
As the municipal elections of March 15 and 22 strategy, nevertheless, some are frightened about seeing farmers disappear from municipal councils. This is the case of the president of the National Federation of Farmers’ Unions (FNSEA), within the majority. In November 2025, in West FranceArnaud Rousseau launched an enchantment “to all those who work the land” to face for election. “In the 1950s, one in two mayors was a farmer. (…) In 2023, there will be only 10% left. (…) This erosion is not just a statistic: it is a warning signal. »
If farmers remain well represented in municipal councils in proportion to their low weight in the active population (2.6% of total employment in mainland France), it is true that their presence is diminishing. Researchers at the Sciences Po Center for Political Research, François Purseigle and Pierre-Henri Bono have traced their trajectory. In 2008, 15.9% of mayors were farmers, they were 13.3% in 2013, and finally 11.7% in 2020. More broadly, in 70% of municipal councils there is at least one farmer, agricultural worker or retired farmer. “We maintain an over-representation of farmer mayors, of course there is a decline, but they are still holding up quite well”notes sociologist François Purseigle.
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