Lhe French and European agricultural crisis demonstrates this: no sustainable development trajectory is possible without a drastic reduction in social inequalities and the glaring injustices of our economic system. Instead, the public authorities in Paris and Brussels are embarking on a headlong rush to another time by relaunching pesticides and pollution, without giving themselves the means to tackle injustices and liberal dogmas. This is all the more inappropriate given that the peasant world today constitutes the most unequal of professional worlds. No viable solution can be found if we do not start from this elementary material reality.
Let’s go back. A widely disseminated statistic has struck French public opinion in recent weeks: the average annual income of farmers will reach 56,014 euros in 2022, a much higher level than we sometimes imagine. These data, collected by the statistical services of the Ministry of Agriculture for the purposes of European comparison in particular, are also available at the most detailed level, by type of farm and by decile of remuneration.
However, in order to properly interpret them, several clarifications are necessary. The field studied firstly excludes a portion of the smallest farms. The ministry specifies that 95% of surfaces and 99% of production are covered. The fact remains that between 10% and 20% of operators are excluded depending on the sector.
Then, and above all, it is necessary to clearly specify the concept of income studied. This is the average annual income per full-time operator, after deduction of all operating costs, including financial charges (loan interest) and equipment depreciation charges, but before deduction of income tax and all social security contributions. This largely explains the high level of this average income of 56,014 euros.
If we calculate the average remuneration per employee (full-time equivalent) in France in 2022, including all employee (deducted from gross salary) and employer social contributions (paid by employers in addition to gross salary), then we also arrive at an average of around 60,000 euros per year, close to that of farmers, or even a little higher. For an equivalent concept, the average income of doctors reaches 120,000 euros per year (90,000 for general practitioners, 150,000 for specialists).
Difficult access to capital and equipment
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