Access To Land
In French Jura, the Grusse municipality decided to create a collective ownership structure to stop the splitting up and abandonment of farmland.
Municipal land was composed of over 1500 plots, most of which averaged only 0,15 to 0,2 ha and were thus impossible to farm. The municipality proposed landowners to create a collective ownership structure (groupement foncier agricole or GFA). Landowners entrust their land to the GFA, in exchange for shares of an equivalent value. The GFA, which has about 50 individual shareholders, now owns about 80 ha. It is directly managed by the municipality.
The establishment of the collective ownershop structure (GFA) has made it possible to establish 4 farmers (passing from 1 to 5 farmers in the village) and to rent additional lands to a cow breeder, enhancing local economic and social vitality.
There are now 5 (organic and conventional) farmers: a vegetable grower, a snail breeder, a wine grower, a fruit farmer, and a cow breeder. The vegetable grower sells 90% of its products through direct marketing (farm shop, local market, box scheme) as well as to the local restaurant and local shop.
Other activities related to the collective land ownership scheme include:
* cooperation between farmers for equipments, marketing, etc.
* social activities,
* crafts
