Les attitudes des agriculteurs des Combrailles à l'égard de la modernisation agricole : contribution à une typologie des agriculteurs

Unfavorable economic conditions and a lack of demographic balance explain, the mentality, of the farmers in the Combrailles area. What is their reaction to the idea of undertaking improvments ? They timidly try to copy « those who are better off », the « good farmers ». The latter, innovators or conservatives, are few compared to average farmers, who are static, pessimistic, not open to economic ideas and without a comprehensive view of their problems. ■ Being first of -all a « land Worker », the average farmer has no other information than the examples of ! his neighbours and other leisure than to talk with them. In- order to modernize the agriculture in this area, a profound reform of the Way of life and of the collective representations would be necessary.