Consumption of organic products breaks records in France
Adrien Cahuzac Usine Nouvelle on 21/09/2016
The French market for organic products saw its turnover jump 20% in the first quarter of 2016. A real record. The number of business start-ups in the sector is also increasing significantly.
More than 20%. This is the insolent growth expected this year for the organic products market in France, to make any sector of the French economy pale. According to Agence Bio, which brings together the various links in the sector, from agricultural upstream to the distribution of finished products, the sector's turnover should reach 6,9 billion euros in France this year. , against 5,75 billion in 2015, a gain of more than one billion euros in one year. "It's a real record", welcomed on September 21, Florent Guhl, the new director of the Organic Agency. "The sector is confirming its take-off," said Didier Perreol, president of the Organic Agency, stressing that 21 new farms are switching to the organic sector every day, after the minimum period of two years for conversion. The number of French producers engaged in organic production stands at 31880 and the agency estimates that by the end of the year, organic farms will exceed the 1,5 million hectare mark, i.e. more than 5,8% of the useful agricultural area (UAA).
A downstream to structure
Downstream companies are also in the same dynamic, since in barely six months, 1200 new operators (processors, traders and distributors) were created, for a total of 14338 companies as of June 20, 2016. For Didier Perreol, also president of the Ekibio group, it is important for manufacturers to join forces. "Industrial tools are increasingly difficult to manage. Concentration is a way of keeping efficient companies, which invest in structured sectors, in order to be able to maintain their independence tomorrow", he stressed.
The fact remains that French production still remains in deficit compared to demand. "76% of organic products consumed in France were produced in France, against 72% in 2014," said Florent Guhl. But exports from the French sector are increasing significantly. "Companies positioned on export have seen this outlet increase by 15 to 20% in recent months", detailed Didier Perreol, speaking of a "strong dynamic". In any case, the French trade balance remains in deficit, despite government plans to aid conversion, a point on which the Organic Agency remains deliberately discreet.
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