The security of food supplies
2022 Annual Public Report
Executive summary
2
Food is one of the 12 sectors of activity identified as being of vital importance in the
code
de la défense
(French Defence Code). Responsibility for this lies with the Ministries of
Agriculture and Economy.
France’s food supply was ensured during the crisis
Agricultural and agri-food production volumes were generally maintained during the
health crisis, despite initial disorganisation of transport and logistical flows and occasional
difficulties encountered by slaughterhouses, which were confronted with difficulties in obtaining
supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). The level of PPE equipment in agri-food
companies was amongst the highest: at the end of March 2020, 52% of agri-food companies
stated that they provided masks to 80% or more of their employees (compared to 28% for all
companies).h
No major disruption in supply was observed, despite the short-term unavailability of
certain products (pasta, flour, eggs). The health crisis has above all led to a loss of outlets and
changed the usual distribution channels, with the closure of restaurants and catering services
as well as food markets. Distribution was also ensured without any significant impact on prices,
even if the population’s perception may have been different.
With budgetary support from Central Government and local authorities, food aid and the
efforts of the charitable sector have made it possible to meet the needs of vulnerable groups
(students, young people deprived of catering facilities), despite the 30% drop in food collections
in 2020. However, safeguarding access to food for the most vulnerable could have been
planned more effectively.
Public aid intended to ensure the continued functioning of the sectors (€8.63 billion),
supplemented by allocations from the recovery plan (€382.5 mill
ion), benefited distribution
more than production.
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Financial support schemes leveraged
Sources: Court of Accounts according to data from MAA, France Stratégie/IGF and Etalab
–
general aid only includes short-time working from September 2020
The health crisis, an indicator of the structural weaknesses and
dependencies of the food supply chain
The health crisis has highlighted vulnerabilities in the food supply chain, particularly in
regard to certain food inputs and packaging. Initiatives in favor of the development of short
distribution channels have had a limited impact. On the other hand, online sales of food
products (+42%) and click-and-collect sales (+340%) have seen their turnover increase
sharply in 2020, although it is not possible to say whether these developments will continue.
Borders closure prevented 240,000 foreign seasonal workers from entering the country,
jeopardising some fruit and vegetable production and processing industries (slaughterhouses,
canneries), even though the movement restrictions were lifted on 20 May 2020 for seasonal
workers from the European Union.
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While the response of public stakeholders was considered pragmatic and effective, the
sector suffered from a low level of preparation in the crisis management due to the lack of
formal business continuity plans. The lack of a formalised national strategy stands in contrast
to foreign examples (Switzerland, Germany or Finland).
Lessons to be learned from the crisis: anticipation and organisation
The combination of support from public stakeholders and adaptation by private
stakeholders enabled the food supply chain to demonstrate a high degree of resilience during
the health crisis. Nevertheless, there are lessons to be learned for the future.
The reduction of France’s dependence on imports for certain inputs must be sought, as
the “resilience” component of the recovery plan calls for. The crisis has also highlighted the
weaknesses of the national agricultural model, which is suffering from the progressive decline
of French competitiveness on international markets. This situation calls for forward thinking,
which should take into account the adoption in November 2021 by the European Union of an
emergency plan to ensure food supply and security in times of crisis.
The identification of strategic reserve stocks, which FranceAgriMer’s monitoring tools do
not fully ensure, is a priority. An interministerial mapping exercise should be carried out, taking
advantage of the flexibility offered by the designation of “essential businesses”. Another priority
is to take better account of the geographical and social dimension of access to food and to
strengthen the organisation of food aid.
Recommendations
The Court therefore makes the following recommendations:
1.
By the end of 2023, establish a diagnosis of the vulnerabilities of the food supply chain so
as to learn the consequences in terms of identifying strategic reserve stocks and essential
businesses in order to facilitate access to food for all (
MAA, MEFR, SGDSN
);
2.
From 2022 onwards, together with consular networks and professional organisations,
strengthen support for small and medium-sized enterprises in the agricultural and agrifood
sectors in preparing for crises in order to ensure the continuity of their activity (
MAA and
MEFR
).