Incidences économiques des zones humides pour les exploitations : le cas du Limousin

[Paper in French] In this article, we investigate the economic impacts of agricultural wetlands for farms in the Limousin region in France. We developed a microeconomic model of farmers' behavior assuming that they maximize their profit. This theoretical model was then specified econometrically and estimated by the two-stages-least squares method, using survey and bookkeeping data from the Chamber of Agriculture of the Haute-Vienne sub-region from 2007 to 2009. Results show that farmers’ profit decreases with the percentage of wetland in the farm area. A sustainable use of these areas by farmers is then possible if compensation (through public subsidies) for the loss of profit due to their conservation were provided.