This special issue of «Storia e problemi contemporanei» aims to present recent research on the rural and agricultural history of modern France. It will explore in particular how new organizational frameworks and professional associations reshaped the interactions between the farmers, the state and the market. The five case-studies concern around a century of French agriculture, from the second half of the nineteenth century to the 1950s. They adopt different methodological approaches, and focus on both local and national perspectives. The introductory article provides a general overview of these debates emphasizing, on the one hand, the growing role of the state, on the other hand, the importance of collective action in the regulation of economic development.