French agriculture in the year 2000 : which markets and which products ? - After the exceptional growth rate of the 1970s, world trade in farm and food products has stagnated over the last five years. Recent long-term economic planning research, however, has led to the conclusion that expansion will pick up once again, but at rate slower by half compared with the 1970s. For Europe and France, this trend is all the more welcome in that it will apply particularly to North Africa, the Middle East and subSaharan Africa, areas with which Europe already has close ties and which are close enough to Europe to afford a considerable logistic advantage. The research of the Plan also pointed, however, to the existence of a production potential in the major exporting countries far superior to the expected increase in demand, with the resultant divergency between supply and demand bringing constant pressure to bear on prices. Under these circumstances, what options remain open to French agriculture? What productions will be able to stand up to international competition ?
