The agricultural development Europe experienced from the 16th to the 20th century was a crucial factor in building the modern world, but we have yet to understand its nature, its pacing, and its causes. For the last thirty years, three major approaches have spurred historians' debates in this area: the diversity of agrarian systems, quantitative methods, and the role of institutions. This book relies on these three themes in proposing a holistic vision of European research on modern and contemporary agricultural history, quite unlike the usual regional monograph. In so doing, it attests to the revival and vitality of rural studies, which remain essential to understanding our own time.