PRESS RELEASE
30 June 2022
Public thematic report
SUPPORT FOR ORGANIC FARMING
Over the last decade, organic farming has undergone a change of scale, with the share of
organic farming in the agricultural area increasing from 3% to 10% between 2010 and 2021
and organic consumption increasing 3.5 times over this period. Now 19% of farmers are
organic. In the report published today, the Court of Accounts, after a detailed review of
the scientific literature, recalls the benefits of organic farming, particularly in terms of
health and the environment, and observes that the development of organic farming is the
best way to make the agri-environmental transition successful and lead so-called
conventional farms towards more environmentally friendly practices. However, the policy
of support for organic farming remains insufficient: since 2010, successive action
programmes have failed to achieve the objectives of 15% of agricultural land in organic
farming and 20% of organic food in public canteens by 2022. To help achieve the new
objectives set by France and the European Union, the Court of Accounts makes 12
recommendations.
Organic farming is facing the challenge of scaling up
For the first time, the Court of Accounts, by setting up a new statistical tool, has been able to
analyse the comparative economic performance of organic and conventional farming, which,
while equivalent overall, varies according to the sector. In 2021, in a context where the total
food consumption in France decreased by 2.3%, the consumption of organic products
decreased for the first time, by 1.3%. Beyond the situational effect, questions about the
sustainability of the economic balance of organic farming have emerged, with the decline in
sales more marked in non-specialised supermarkets (52% of organic sales in 2021).
A support policy that did not achieve its objectives
The Court notes that, in all areas, the action of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Sovereignty is not able to meet its stated goals. It alerts the public authorities to the lack of
communication on the beneficial impacts of organic food and the illegibility of labels, which
will contribute to a decline in organic food purchases in 2021 in the face of growing
competition from less demanding “green” labels
-
such as the “high environmental value”
(HVE) label. In fact, this label, which is not very demanding in terms of environmental issues,
is supported by the Ministry to the same extent as organic farming. Moreover, the aid from
the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that France devotes to organic farming does not meet
the objectives it has set itself. Half of the budget was consumed in the first year of the
programme, which started in 2015. In 2017, the aid for maintaining organic farming was
abolished, although it paid for the environmental services of these farms. For example, a
quarter of organic farms do not receive CAP support. Similarly, support for the organic food
industry and research and development in organic farming is insufficient. This gap between
resources and goals cannot be closed in the next CAP starting in 2023 if France maintains the
current draft national strategic plan, which is under final discussion with the European
Commission. The report also analyses the extent to which public policy contributes to the
creation and distribution of value within the organic sector. While there is scattered evidence
suggesting that organic producers capture more value than conventional farmers, there are
still gaps in the data. Finally, the contribution of organic farming to French agricultural and
food autonomy will depend on the evolution of two opposing effects: the greater autonomy
of organic farms, which contributes to reducing the trade deficit, and their lower yields. Thus,
the development of organic farming will have to go hand in hand with more research (to
improve yields), the reduction of food waste and a shift towards diets with less animal
protein.
Levers to achieve the stated goal
In order to help achieve the new objectives set by France (18% of organic farmland in 2027)
and by the European Union (25% of organic farmland in 2030), the Court formulates 12
recommendations divided into 3 areas: to educate citizens and consumers on the
environmental and health impact of organic farming, to redirect and amplify public support
for organic farming and finally, to encourage the creation of value within the organic farming
and food sector. As Pierre Moscovici, First President of the
Court of Accounts, points out, “
the
role of the Court, as a trusted third party and public policy watchdog for citizens, was to
provide the objective and impartial insight that was still lacking on this public issue, regarding
which many questions have been raised
”.
Read the report
PRESS CONTACTS:
Emmanuel Kessler
◼
Director of Communications
◼
T
01 42 98 55 62
◼
06 62 48 07 81
◼
emmanuel.kessler@ccomptes.fr
Julie Poissier
◼
Head of Press Relations
◼
T
01 42 98 97 43
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06 87 36 52 21
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julie.poissier@ccomptes.fr
@Courdescomptes
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