Business Week: French Food-Fair Politics

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The Salon International de l'Agriculture offers countless ways to tease the taste buds. Plus, it drums up support for subsidized farm programs. Imagine an old-fashioned American county fair, minus the carnival rides and corn dogs. Then add a raft of foie gras, goat cheese, choucroute garni, and oceans of French wine. That's the essence of the annual Salon International de l'Agriculture in Paris, which runs from Feb. 25 through Mar. 5 at the Porte de Versailles exposition center. Part trade show, part food fair, and part livestock exhibit, the Salon was created by the French government in 1964 to boost the agricultural industry, which still employs 10% of the French workforce. Billed as the "Biggest Farm in France," the fair draws more than 625,000 visitors annually from all over the world. Farmers come to negotiate deals with national conglomerates. Schoolchildren come to see animals, try their hand at baking baguettes, and get samples of yogurt. Their parents migrate to the food and wine stands, organized by French region, where they can feast on free tastings of dry sausage, smoked ham, Cantal cheese, and butter-soaked Kouign Amann cake from Brittany.