The evolution of political structures since 1946
The departmentalization is as important for the island as the abolition of slavery was in its time. This law of assimilation, which transformed the former colonies (Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Reunion) into French departments, had long been called for and was vigorously defended by Aimé Césaire. Nevertheless, in reality, the economic and social situation and the repression of certain political movements made it difficult to apply locally. It was not until 1996 and the vote of the law on social equality between metropolitan France and the overseas departments that the Martiniquais really had the same social assistance mechanisms (allowance, alignment of the overseas minimum wage with that of metropolitan France) and legal, political and social equality with their metropolitan peers.
While new status was undoubtedly of legislative importance, life did not change socially until the 1950s, when the Caribbean was to experience migration movements. The State quickly took matters into its own hands and set up regulations: Bumidom, the Bureau of Overseas Departments Migration, was created in 1961. The flow accelerated in the 1960s and slowed down in the 1980s. During this period, nearly 190,000 Martincans left for metropolitan France to work or study. Martinique is thus deprived of a large part of its youth, which, over the years, will accelerate the demographic aging of the island. Today, there are 365,000 “domiens” in mainland France.
A unique territorial collectivity. In January 2010, a consultation on the status of the island took place. The referendum was to determine the evolution of the political framework in which Martinique is positioned: to remain a department, a status provided for in Article 73 of the Constitution, or to evolve into an overseas territorial collectivity with greater autonomy outside the regal powers of the state and raised by Article 74 of the Constitution. The ballot boxes were relatively clear, with 79.3% of voters saying “no” to the transformation of the DOM into a community. The people of Martinique voted in favor of the “creation of a single community exercising the powers devolved to the department and the region”. This constitutional reform should allow a rationalization of tasks by avoiding “duplication” and the inevitable overlapping of competences between institutions. With, at the end of the day, savings of around 185 million euros thanks to retirements.
For Alfred Marie-Jeanne, a yes voter, the defeat was bitter and the pro-independence candidate had to bow to the list led by Serge Letchimy, a fierce supporter of Article 73. The latter then became the new president of the regional council of Martinique. In November 2015, however, the situation was reversed: the people of Martinique, called to the polls to unite the general council and the regional council into a single so-called territorial authority, put their trust in Alfred Marie-Jeanne, who was elected president of the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique.
Another major political issue for Martinique is the question of gender parity, as women are still under-represented among elected politicians. In 2019, INSEE recorded a slight improvement in parity, but there is still a long way to go for women to make a place for themselves in Martinique's political life.
Clear economic and social progress
Martinican economy is characterized by a particularly developed public sector (nearly 42% of employees). Tourism is the number one sector in Martinique, with more than one million annual visitors. Visitor numbers have benefited over the last ten years from the renewed interest in cruises. But the uncertainties related to the current context leave professionals perplexed.
Compared to its neighbors in the Caribbean, Martinique has a relatively high standard of living. The assimilation law has strengthened the democratic framework and brought the stability and peace necessary for social progress. The health care system appears to be one of the most efficient in the region. Average life expectancy in Martinique has increased (75 years for men, 81 years for women), approaching that of metropolitan France. The same is true for education, with a literacy rate of over 90%.
The housing sector has continued to improve, marked by a reduction in substandard housing, particularly in the working-class neighborhoods of Fort-de-France. Territorial development ensures a modern infrastructure, whether it be sanitation, distribution (electricity and water), but also communication, airport, port, roads.
To encourage the development of the overseas departments and territories, the State has set up a series of tools. In addition to the subsidies granted by the European Union within the framework of the European Fund for Economic and Regional Development (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF), Martinique benefits from specific measures such as a more advantageous customs, trade and tax policy, free zones, as well as a tax exemption policy which aims to encourage investment in the overseas territories and to compensate for the additional cost of equipment and the difficulties of access to credit in these territories.
Agriculture in Martinique
Martinican economy bears the imprint of a colonial past deeply marked by agricultural activities. The island has long produced cotton, tobacco, indigo, spices (cinnamon, pepper), coffee and cocoa, but also fruit, vegetable crops (taro, pepper, yam, cassava) and market garden produce (tomato, melon, cucumber). Heir to this past, the island is today facing a rather paradoxical situation: a developed but fragile agricultural sector. Although agriculture is a major contributor to export earnings, the amount of land devoted to agriculture is constantly decreasing. Martinique is thus dependent on foreign imports for nearly 80% of its local market. Currently, the bulk of agricultural production is based on two main products: bananas and sugar cane, which are mainly intended for export.
Banana is the island's main export product and has a strong historical and cultural link. However, banana producers are under pressure from competition from cheaper bananas from other countries (the famous dollar banana), and from repeated cyclones. Agriculture must also face the scandal of chlordecone, an insecticide used massively to fight weevils in banana plantations. Banned in the United States since 1977 and in France since 1989 due to its proven toxicity, the French government nevertheless authorized its use in Martinique and Guadeloupe until 1993, causing the contamination of a third of Martinique's farmland, particularly in the northeast of the island, and of the water table for thousands of years. This molecule, very persistent in the environment, could be the main cause of prostate cancer in Martinique, which has the highest annual incidence of prostate cancer in the world. Banana producers decided to move towards a sustainable banana culture. Their objective is clear: to reduce the impact of this crop on other ecosystems. In ten years, the Martinique banana industry has succeeded in reducing the use of phytosanitary products by 75%.
After bananas, sugar cane is the second most important crop in Martinique. Eighty percent of its production is dedicated to the manufacture of AOC rum, and the remaining 20% is destined for the manufacture of sugar. Rum is Martinique's main agri-food activity and the second most important export product after bananas. It has contributed to the emergence of a spirit tourism industry with a strong cultural dimension, as the distilleries have become veritable hubs for the promotion of Martinique's heritage.
New tracks. However, more and more voices are being raised against the monopoly of these two monocultures. To remedy this, Martinican farmers are choosing to explore new ways to produce in a more respectful and sustainable way, such as permaculture, agroforestry and agroecology. Traditions inherited from the Creole garden, practiced by the elders and which are coming back into fashion in Martinique.
In the same way, initiatives favoring short “lokalvores” circuits (baskets, local markets) are multiplying to encourage Martinicans to consume local products first, with the least number of intermediaries possible, and above all the possibility of meeting the producers directly.
Recent years saw the return of new high value-added crops, such as cocoa, vanilla and coffee. These new sectors represent an important growth potential for the territory, supported by a strong international demand.
Martinican agriculture also benefits from the European support program for the outermost regions: the POSEI (Programme d’options spécifiques à l’éloignement et à l’insularité, Program of Options Specific to Remoteness and Insularity), which is part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The first component, called the Specific Supply Scheme (SSS), is designed to reduce the cost of inputs. The second component includes measures to support local agricultural production (MFPAL) in four sectors: bananas, the sugarcane-sugar-rum sector, the animal sector and the diversification of plant production.
