The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the emerging phenomenon of outsourcing in agriculture, which has been happening since the early 2000s. Although very little is known about this practice, it now affects no fewer than six out of ten farmers. Given the methodological difficulties resulting from its covert nature, a mixed approach was developed to characterise this phenomenon, combining statistical analyses of secondary data and other original data from two surveys conducted in 2018 and 2021, with qualitative analyses of surveys of stakeholders in agricultural outsourcing. The results highlight different aspects of the phenomenon, including the outsourcing of multiple tasks and full delegation, which represent a departure from traditional practices. Significant changes on the supply side are also highlighted, among which the rise of agricultural outsourcing enterprises and the arrival of new stakeholders. These results also point to economic puzzling questions and controversial debates that are happening alongside this emerging phenomenon, with major challenges for agriculture as a whole.

Nguyen, G., Purseigle, F., Brailly, J. & Marre, M. (2022). Agricultural Outsourcing in France: A Statistical Perspective on an Emerging Phenomenon. Economie et Statistique / Economics and Statistics, 532-33, 89–110.
doi: 10.24187/ecostat.2022.532.2073