La politique de la montagne en Suisse. Quelques enseignements pour la France

The swiss mountain policy plays an integral part in the national independence and neutrality of the Confederation. Its aim is to be nutritionally self sufficient (it reached as high as 64 % in 1983) to ensure the protection and the maintenance of territory and a sufficient population in the more remote regions. Without a specific policy adapted to include mountain territory which covers 70 % of the land and constitutes 37 % of the farms, these aims couldn't be achieved. The mountain policy defined in 1951 tries to maintain and encourage the family farms and to guarantee their income. This article analyses the aims, the methods and the results of this policy and it creates some examples for France.