Banana producers in Guadeloupe are currently facing an economic crisis and this is combined with anxiety about the impact of production techniques on the environment felt by society as a whole. The 1999 Law on the Orientation of French Agriculture provides an opportunity to help farmers move towards more sustainable production systems. The incentives offered by the contracts between the state and farmers that the law calls for require both an understanding of the entire context of agricultural production and identification of the different functions fulfilled by agriculture in this region. Although banana speculation predominates, it alone does not explain all the different farming systems identified. The diversification of activities both inside and outside the agricultural sector plays an essential role in the economic viability of the farms and in the management of natural resources. In these conditions, one of the major challenges involved in facilitating the territorial integration of agriculture is the recognition by the public community of the functions fulfilled by the systems of agriculture in this region.