Contenu du sommaire

The analysis of farmers demonstrations between 1962 and 1971 reveals an extreme sensibility to the conjuncture : calamity, collapse of prices, european community policy. The most affected regions are localised in the west part of the country, beyond the Toulon-Le Havre line, but this concentration does not involve any solidarity between the concerned regions : no synchronism, no common motivation between North, Brittany, or the viticultural Midi have been never observed.

Among the finest french vineyards, the Beaujolais region is noteworthy for its production of light vines which does not require a long delay to be drunk. This characteristic appears to be of great benefit for the producers by reference to the evolution of consummers preference for young vines immediately commercialized. The commercial success of vine's culture in Beaujolais during the last decade has deeply transformed the economic and social conditions of production. But the present prosperity is now threatened with the occurence of important surplus in the production which desorganise the market and disturb the prices.

The forest of Pilat, one of the main elements of the Regional Natural Park, cover an area of roughly 20 000 hectares and belong mostly to urban owners from Saint-Etienne or Lyon. The distribution of this property is very disparate, consisting in some large domains, but mainly in numerous smalt lots held by urbans of recent rural origin. From 1950 to 1965 near 2 000 hectares have been planted again, but the land speculation and the SAFER policy have impeded this trend, with various but distinct finalities and motivations.