Policies & Programs

The objective of this new “baseline contract” is to offer compensation for production costs rather than for the farmer’s revenue. The indemnity would give them the opportunity to re-launch a production cycle after having faced losses due to catastrophes incurred by extreme weather. This new insurance policy will be affordable for most farmers and ranchers […]

In France, Agro-Ecology has officially made its way into French law, seeking to combine economic, environmental and social performance, reduce the consumption of energy, water, fertilizer, pesticides and veterinary medicine, and to work with natural mechanisms instead of against them. The incorporation of Agro-Ecology into law took over two years and required the laying of […]

France has a unique food safety system that achieves a complete separation between risk assessment (by ANSES, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety) and risk management (by the Ministry of Agriculture, the French Directorate General for Food (DGAL) for food of animal origin, and by the Ministry of Economics, the […]

The EU “Food Distribution Program for the Most Deprived Persons” The EU “Food Distribution Program for the Most Deprived Persons” (MDP) is an important source of provisions for organizations working in direct contact with the least fortunate people of our society. The program has been in place since December 1987, when the Council adopted the […]

Phytosanitary products are pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. Use of illegal phytosanitary products can be voluntary but it can also be the result of farmers’ neglect. In both cases it is an environmental threat as well as an issue for consumers and farmers’ health. In order to fight against illegal phytosanitary products, the French government launched […]

Organic farming is a method of production that respects the environment and guarantees high levels of animal welfare. Those requirements are defined in a highly rigorous set of mandatory specifications, mostly coordinated at the EU level, systematically backed up by inspections. This type of production rules out the use of synthetic chemicals and GMOs, in […]

French experts of INRA and CIRAD (French agricultural research institutes) take the challenge to feed the world in a sustainable, healthy way. They created a platform called “Agrimonde”, which aims to explore future scenarios for worldwide agricultural and food system. On January 12th 2012, INRA and CIRAD, the best agronomy research centers in Europe, presented […]

What does it mean to “produce in a different way”? By “producing in a different way,” Stéphane Le Foll means bridging the gap between economic and ecological results. He wants to encourage the development of new environmentally-friendly agricultural models that are also cost-efficient. The initiative is a way to show that sustainable farming practices can […]

France and the French Ministry of Agriculture support the development of agro-ecology. French Agricultural Minister, Stéphane Le Foll, will be attending the International Symposium on Agro-ecology this year in Rome, where top leaders and minds in the field will gather to exchange about this important field. Agro-ecology is a budding science. As standards for quality […]

In Europe and the United States there is a need for new generations of farmers and ranchers. In order to ensure sufficient agricultural supply, which accounts for a hefty portion of European and American GDP, measures must be taken to encourage our youth to work in this ever-important economic field. France has proposed solutions to […]