As reported on Tuesday, June 4, in the agency for organic products of France, a record number of French farms switched to organic production.
In France, the largest producer of agricultural products in the European Union, 5,000 organic farms added, exceeding the previous maximum of 4,200, observed both in 2016 and 2017, according to an annual market review from Agence Bio.
This increased the number of organic farms by 13% to 41,600, which is 9.5% of all French farms. The area of organic farmland increased by 17% - up to 2 million hectares, or 7.5% of all agricultural land.
In the crop sector, the area of organic crops jumped by 31% to 514,000 hectares, or 4.3% of the area of crops.
“We have taken a step forward in crop production. Previously, we were not ready to switch to organics, now it has become something normal, ”said Philippe Henry, a farmer and president of Agence Bio, to reporters.
However, the share of organic farmland in France is still only half the 15 percent target set by the government for 2022. A sharp increase in organic production helps keep pace with high consumer demand and import restrictions, Agence Bio says.
