Agriculture as Growth Sector?

Herve Kemp believes that the future of employment in Europe will include a million "family farmer jobs."

1 minute read

May 28, 2009, 5:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley


"For decades, conventional wisdom has accustomed us to thinking that agricultural activity had to be, as far as employment is concerned, residual: the increase in agricultural productivity, the urbanization of societies, the evolution to a services economy would make marginal that which had constituted the framework of civilizations for centuries. A page had supposedly been definitively turned.

[T]he ideas of one era may die; its dogmas may be overturned. Consequently, I have the immense pleasure of informing you that in these times of mental and political stagnation we can create a million jobs in Europe, five hundred thousand in France - family farmer jobs.

[D]o you really believe you're going to reduce the number of unemployed - now resuming its upward curve - by manufacturing still more cars, planes and packaging? We need to move our mental furniture around: agriculture is a sector of the future. "

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 in Truthout

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