In the heart of France lies the Massif Central, an area almost as large as Austria or Portugal, where agriculture is more than an economic activity. It shapes daily life, defines the landscape and determines the survival of many rural communities. Covering approximately 85,000 square kilometres across four administrative regions and 22 départements, the area is home to around 3.8 million people. Most of its territory is classified as land facing natural or other specific constraints.
As much as 98.5 per cent of the Massif Central is designated as a less-favoured or constrained area. Mountain zones account for 62 per cent of the territory, while lowlands represent just 1.5 per cent. Under these demanding conditions, French farmers have developed one of Europe’s most distinctive grass-based livestock systems.
Today, around 75,000 farmers work on approximately 57,000 farms, managing some 4.1 million hectares. The average farm covers 72 hectares, but this does not mean that industrial farming dominates the region. On the contrary, family members provide 86 per cent of all agricultural labour, and most farms remain small or medium-sized family businesses.
From 221,000 farms to just 57,000
Behind these impressive figures lies a trend familiar across much of Europe. In 1970, the Massif Central had more than 221,000 farms. Ten years later, the number had fallen to around 175,000, followed by just over 140,000 in 1988. By 2020, only approximately 57,000 remained.
In half a century, almost three out of every four farms disappeared.
Nevertheless, agriculture remains the main employer in many parts of the region. It provides the equivalent of around 81,000 full-time jobs. In some areas, more than 30 per cent of all employment is directly connected to agriculture. Farmers and farm partners perform most of this work, while the number of permanent employees from outside farming families remains relatively limited.
These figures demonstrate the importance of agriculture in maintaining rural populations. When a farm closes, more than a single production unit is lost. The population declines, local services weaken, schools and shops close, and the land is gradually left without the people who maintained it.
Grass is the region’s most important resource
The Massif Central’s greatest asset is not its most fertile soil, but its grass. Permanent grasslands and meadows cover around 81 per cent of the region’s agricultural land, representing approximately one-third of all grassland in France. In total, 84 per cent of the utilised agricultural area is directly devoted to livestock farming.
The average stocking rate is around 1.12 livestock units per hectare, indicating a predominantly extensive production system. Animals spend much of the year grazing, while livestock production is largely based on locally produced forage. Grassland systems require few chemical inputs and virtually no plant protection treatments.
Rather than seeing these areas as land waiting to be ploughed and converted into arable fields, the French treat them as productive, environmental and cultural resources. Grasslands feed livestock, retain water, reduce erosion, protect biodiversity and store carbon.
According to SIDAM, the grasslands of the Massif Central sequester more than two million tonnes of carbon annually. They are therefore regarded as an important part of agriculture’s response to climate change.
However, these environmental benefits do not protect farmers from economic difficulties.
France’s leading suckler-cattle region
Cattle farming is by far the Massif Central’s most important agricultural activity. The area is home to around 1.4 million suckler cows and approximately 22,500 farms specialising in beef production or mixed cattle systems.
Four breeds that have become famous far beyond France originated in this region: Charolais, Limousin, Aubrac and Salers. Their importance extends beyond meat production. They are the result of generations of selection for pasture-based farming, adaptation to difficult terrain and an ability to convert grass from land unsuitable for arable farming into high-quality food.
The Massif Central is France’s primary suckler-cattle area. This production also helps France maintain its leading position in the European trade in live cattle.
Added value is not generated solely by selling animals. It is also created through protected designations of origin, geographical indications, local supply chains and official quality schemes. In several parts of the region, beef and veal are sold under protected labels that bring together pasture, breed, production method and geographical origin within a single product.
Two billion litres of milk transformed into cheese
Dairy farming involves fewer holdings, but it has enormous importance for food processing and the market. The region has approximately 386,000 dairy cows, equivalent to around one-fifth of France’s total dairy herd. Some 5,500 dairy farms produce close to two billion litres of milk per year.
The real significance, however, lies not only in production volume. Much of the milk is processed into cheeses whose names are recognised around the world, including Saint-Nectaire, Fourme d’Ambert, Cantal and Bleu d’Auvergne.
This is where the logic of French agriculture is most clearly visible. Milk produced under difficult mountain conditions does not attempt to compete solely through the lowest possible raw-milk price. Processing, origin, tradition and protected status transform it into a product with much greater added value.
Farmers, dairies, local gastronomy and tourism therefore become parts of the same economic chain.
From Roquefort to locally adapted sheep breeds
The Massif Central is also one of France’s leading sheep-farming regions. It is home to approximately 700,000 dairy ewes and around one million suckler ewes, representing roughly one-quarter of the country’s total sheep population.
Sheep-milk production is concentrated mainly within the protected Roquefort production zone. Roquefort remains France’s best-known ewe’s-milk cheese. Lambs raised for meat largely come from local breeds adapted to the region’s grasslands, altitude and climatic conditions.
Goat farming also plays an important role, with approximately 174,000 animals. Around one-quarter of France’s goat farms are located within the wider Massif Central area. Once again, primary production is closely linked to processing. Cheeses such as Rocamadour and Picodon have become powerful symbols of their respective territories.
Grasslands create value, but farmers still struggle to earn a living
The Massif Central’s greatest paradox is the gap between the value agriculture creates for society and the income that ultimately remains with farmers.
Livestock farmers maintain the grasslands and prevent them from becoming overgrown. They preserve open landscapes, improve water retention, reduce erosion, and maintain traditional practices such as pastoralism and transhumance. Their work also helps protect the region’s gastronomic, architectural and cultural heritage.
Despite all these services, the average pre-tax income generated by farms in the Massif Central was only around €32,000 in 2021, which was 44 per cent below the French national average.
This is a warning that protected origin, renowned breeds and large livestock numbers are not enough to secure farm profitability. Without well-organised supply chains, processing capacity, stable prices and a fairer distribution of added value, most of the burden and risk will continue to fall on the farmer.
The region is therefore devoting increasing attention to the economic value of grasslands, adaptation to climate change and stronger links between farmers and processors. Projects such as AEOLE are examining how different types of grassland can be used more effectively, both at farm level and across entire production chains.
The Massif Central is therefore more than a story about French cattle and famous cheeses. It demonstrates how an area facing severe natural constraints can build a strong agricultural identity. At the same time, it shows that preserving family farms requires more than tradition alone. It requires processing, cooperation, protected origin and a market capable of recognising not only the food farmers produce, but also everything their work helps to preserve.
