The French agriculture is marked by its history. The history of French agriculture could start with the Gaulois in 2000 B.C. They were the first farmers working on French land. The Roman invasion around 50 A.C. brought organization and technical progress like everywhere else in Europe. The Middle Age was marked by the feudal system. […]
On April 1st, 2015, the European Union officially did away with the milk quota regime that has applied to dairy farmers in all EU member states for the past 31 years. The dairy industry and indeed the European agricultural economy are now discerning the best measures to take to ensure a viable dairy sector in […]
2.5 million acres, 26,500 producers and 12,577 processors, distributers and importers: these are the most recent figures on the organic market in France, according to Agence BIO. Agence BIO, the French public body responsible for developing and promoting organic farming, recently published its 10th annual report on the organic industry in France in 2014, and […]
The Food Chain Contract is a mutual commitment between firms and public authorities, including farmers, craftsmen, distribution centers, and industrial unions. The Food Chain Contract is based on proposals created during the Regional Conferences launched by the French government last September. For five months, professionals in the field collaborated and shared their ideas at nearly […]
Since the 50’s, French agriculture has had to face new challenges. Before World War II, farms were small and agriculture represented 35% of the French active population and the priority was self-sufficiency. Today, thanks to the common agricultural policy and the creation of a new economic market, agriculture has undergone major changes. I. Structure of […]
The second round of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations started the week of November 11th, 2013. Agriculture will be an important issue in the discussion between the United States and the European Union. In a recent interview with the Financial Times, French Minister of Agriculture, Food Industry and Forestry, Stéphane Le Foll […]
Average farmer income was $39,700 in 2013 in France, a decrease from 16.4% compared to that in 2012. Farm income is estimated using the Earning before Interests and Tax per worker. The main cause is the continuous increase of farm inputs costs (animal feed, fertilizers, pesticides), whereas the value of agricultural production is stagnating (only […]
The French seed sector can attribute much of its excellent international reputation to good climate conditions, crop diversity and bountiful output. During the 2012-2013 campaign, the sector exported 1.9 billion dollars’ worth of seeds, a whopping 15% increase from the previous year. These figures make France the world’s number one seed exporter, placing it ahead […]
Agrifood business is of great importance for the French economic growth and employs almost 6% of the French population. France is the 4th largest exporter of agricultural and agrifood products and has to face new upcoming challenges. At the end of 2013, the Ministry for Agriculture asked for a strategic reflection on the direction that […]
Fish farming has a long history in France. In the Middle Ages, French monks were breeding fishes in lakes and ponds. When artificial reproduction for salmon trout was established at the end of the 19th century, French salmon aquaculture soared. Around the world, fishing captures are capped to 90 million metric tons (mt) since the […]