A socio-historical analysis of abandoned farmland and its recurrent politicization in France (1760–2026)

Over the past two decades, agricultural land abandonment has attracted growing attention from scholars and policy-makers. However, existing studies do not situate this phenomenon within long-term agrarian changes and social struggles. A quick look back reveals that abandoned, uncultivated, underexploited, or wasted farmland is a recurring public issue. This paper critically reviews narratives and public policies for ‘wasted’ farmland in France from the 18th century, identifying four critical periods characterized by an intense legal and discursive production: 1760–1793, 1940–1962, 1978–1992, and 2010-Present. These periods, we argue, correspond to hegemony crises, when the leading social alliance controlling farmlands is challenged by other groups contesting rules and institutions regulating access to and (legitimate) use(s) of farmland. Adopting a historical perspective sheds a new and original light on contemporary farmland abandonment. Indeed, it appears as a political process driven by struggles for farmland control between antagonistic groups.