Considerations and operational proposals about farm diagnostic assessment in the perspective of a French farm territorial contract (CTE)

Abstract

The French agricultural act of July 1999 established a new tool to promote the multifunctionality of agriculture and to favour the adaptation of farms to social expectations. This tool is a farm contract, called contrat territorial d'exploitation (CTE). The CTE is based upon a farm diagnostic assessment. In this paper we offer considerations about multifunctionality and farm assessment concept and we stress on the choice of indicators and references. Operational proposals are exposed to carry out a farm diagnostic assessment in the perspective of a CTE.