La politique de l'Etat et l'évolution de l'agriculture française : éléments d'interprétation économique

The evolution of agriculture in capitalist social formations (and particularly the French one) is a result of its function : to supply overwork - a peasant surplus - for capitalist industrial and financial interests. This contribution by agriculture to a rapid accumulation of capital in different branches of the economy provokes a reallocation of the productive agricultural forces in other economic activities : This process is that of the regression of agriculture. State policy, with its various aspects, contributes to creating an increasing peasant surplus which firstly benefits the food and agricultural industries, through the agricultural products markets. Wishing to give them an important role in the agriculture evolution, the public authorities have progressively given more aid to the food sector, expecting to limit the volume of aid given to agriculture itself. Internationalisation of food industry leads gradually to that of the whole food and agricultural complex, and makes the regression process of agriculture function to a higher stage. The State can no longer oppose this evolution, because, even by delegating some of its prerogatives at the european level the means to regulate the evolution of the food and agricultural complex escape it. Responsible, because of its function, for looking after the coherence of the social formation, it is forced to take over the increasing social costs of the regression of agriculture : as it is unable to break the rhythm of the process, it cannot reduce the social expenses. In these circumstances, the future of agriculture will continue to be controlled by a process of strong regression.