Persistence and renewal of cooperation in farm work in French agriculture

Cooperation in farm work is often considered as a disappearing phenomenon in modern agriculture. This paper analyzes the historical and current factors explaining the persistence and continuous renewal of cooperation in the French context. Some case studies among the French machinery cooperatives were mobilized to illustrate the general trends. Economic and technical transformations of the agricultural work, public policies and social movements historically contributed to change and renew the modes of cooperation in French agriculture. More recently, grass-roots processes have renewed cooperation in farm work, from initiatives triggered by the diversity of French farmers. We finally highlight and discuss the need for deeper research on this complex topic