What Role Can Farmers’ Co-ops Play in the Agrifood Industry? the Careful Rebalancing of Public Support in “Agricultural Modernisation”

The development of the agrifood sector in France in the 1960s was part of an “agricultural modernisation” policy. Economists and government decision-makers were quick to express their preference for production chains designed by private industrial players and regulated within an inter-professional framework. However, the historical commitment of the Ministry of Agriculture and of farming institutions in favour of cooperative ventures, along with the activism of farmers’ unions, resulted in continued and expanded public support for farmers’ co-ops. Against this backdrop, the main cooperative processing companies were created; these would later grow to hold a prominent role in the French agrifood sector today.