Agriculture
Champagne wine in a flute
Champagne, widely regarded as a luxury good, originates from the Champagne region in northeast France.
France has historically been a large producer of agricultural products.[171] Extensive tracts of fertile land, the application of modern technology, and EU subsidies have combined to make France the leading agricultural producer and exporter in Europe[172] (representing 20% of the EU's agricultural production[173]) and the world's third biggest exporter of agricultural products.[174]
Wheat, poultry, dairy, beef, and pork, as well as internationally recognised processed foods are the primary French agricultural exports. Rosé wines are primarily consumed within the country, but Champagne and Bordeaux wines are major exports, being known worldwide. EU agriculture subsidies to France have decreased in recent years but still amounted to $8 billion in 2007.[175] That same year, France sold 33.4 billion euros of transformed agricultural products.[176]
Agriculture is an important sector of France's economy: 3.8% of the active population is employed in agriculture, whereas the total agri-food industry made up 4.2% of French GDP in 2005