Editing Economy of France (section)

=== Agriculture ===
{{See also|French wine}}
[[File:Agricultural_output_France.svg|thumb|Development of agricultural output of France in 2015 US$ since 1961]]
[[File:Villiers Le Bacle le 14 juillet 2008 - 21.jpg|thumb|A wheat field in [[Villiers-le-Bâcle]]. France is the EU's largest agricultural producer.]]France is the world's sixth largest agricultural producer and EU's leading agricultural power, accounting for about one-third of all agricultural land within the EU. In the early 1980s, France was the leading producer of the three principal grains of wheat, barley, and maize. Back in 1983, France produced around 24.8&nbsp;million tonnes, ahead of the United Kingdom and West Germany, the next two largest wheat producers.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ilbery|first=Brian|title=Western Europe|publisher=Oxford University Press, New York|year=1986|isbn=0-19-823278-0|location=New York, United States|pages=[https://archive.org/details/westerneuropesys0000ilbe/page/ Pg. 41-42]|url=https://archive.org/details/westerneuropesys0000ilbe/page/}}</ref>

Northern France is characterised by large wheat farms. Dairy products, pork, poultry, and apple production are concentrated in the western region. Beef production is located in central France, while the production of fruits, vegetables, and wine ranges from central to southern France. France is a large producer of many agricultural products and is currently expanding its forestry and fishery industries. The implementation of the [[Common Agricultural Policy]] (CAP) and the [[Uruguay Round]] of the [[General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade]] (GATT) have resulted in reforms in the agricultural sector of the economy.

As the world's second-largest agricultural exporter, France ranks just after the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.france.tv/france-2/actualites-et-societe/toutes-les-videos/|title=France 2 Actualités & société - Tous les vidéos et replay &#124; France tv|website=www.france.tv|access-date=31 March 2022|archive-date=18 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918101009/http://info.france2.fr/medias/Charles-Enderlin-d%C3%A9cor%C3%A9-de-la-L%C3%A9gion-d%27honneur-56553145.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The destination of 49% of its exports is other [[EU members]] states. France also provides agricultural exports to many poor African countries (including its former colonies) which face serious food shortages. Wheat, beef, pork, poultry, and dairy products are the principal exports.

Exports from the United States face stiff competition from domestic production, other EU member states, and third-world countries in France. US agricultural exports to France, totaling some $600&nbsp;million annually, consist primarily of soybeans and soybean products, feeds and fodders, seafood, and consumer products, especially snack foods and nuts. French exports to the United States are much more high-value products such as [[French cheese|its cheese]], processed products and [[French wine|its wine]].

The French agricultural sector receives almost €11&nbsp;billion in EU subsidies. France produced in 2018 39.5&nbsp;million tons of [[sugar beet]] (2nd largest producer in the world, just behind Russia), which serves to produce sugar and [[ethanol]]; 35.8&nbsp;million tons of wheat (5th largest producer in the world); 12.6&nbsp;million tons of maize (11th largest producer in the world); 11.2&nbsp;million tons of [[barley]] (2nd largest producer in the world, only behind Russia); 7.8&nbsp;million tons of potato (8th largest producer in the world); 6.2&nbsp;million tons of grape (5th largest producer in the world); 4.9&nbsp;million tons of [[rapeseed]] (4th largest producer in the world, behind Canada, China and India); 2.2&nbsp;million tons of [[sugarcane]]; 1.7&nbsp;million tons of apple (9th largest producer in the world); 1.3&nbsp;million tons of [[triticale]] (4th largest producer in the world, only behind Poland, Germany and Belarus); 1.2&nbsp;million tons of [[sunflower seed]] (9th largest producer in the world); 712 thousand tons of [[tomatoes]]; 660 thousand tons of [[linen]]; 615 thousand tons of dry [[pea]]; 535 thousand tons of carrot; 427 thousand tons of [[oats]]; 400 thousand tons of [[soy]]; in addition to smaller productions of other agricultural products.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/|title=FAOSTAT|website=www.fao.org|access-date=31 March 2022|archive-date=12 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161112130804/https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/|url-status=live}}</ref>