"For the next campaign [in fall 2024], I'm going to take part of my land that is currently certified organic and grow conventionally. For durum wheat, for sure, but milling wheat is also in question," said Pierrick Horel, head of a mixed crop-livestock farm split between two departments. For the brand-new president of Jeunes Agriculteurs (Young Farmers labor union), who started organic farming in 2010, the decision to partially deconvert was a difficult one, especially as his "mother had kept the land organic so that [he could set up his] own farm." The farm's "economic performance must be preserved," he said.
After more than two years of crisis, which has deeply shaken the French organic farming sector, the deconversion movement has begun. Farmers who opted for environmentally friendly agriculture without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are being forced to make painful choices. In some cases, they are trying to limit the withdrawal from organic farming by opting for a partial deconversion.
Figures published on Thursday, June 13, by Agence Bio (the French Agency for the Development and Promotion of Organic Agriculture), show the extent of the shock. In 2023, organically farmed land shrank for the first time in France. "We've lost 54,000 hectares in one year, and [it] has fallen from 10.5% to 10.36% of the total agricultural area," said Laure Verdeau, director of Agence Bio. This decline confirms the fears expressed in 2022 when the growth rate of organic farming had stalled.
Meanwhile, the conversion rate to organic farming has continued to fall, while the trend toward deconversion has continued. As a result, in 2023, the balance still remained positive, with a 2% increase in the number of certified organic farmers, which now stands at 61,163. "We've lost field crop producers, but we've gained market gardeners," said Verdeau. However, the trend could deteriorate further in 2024.
'Catastrophic situation'
The sudden slowdown can be explained by a downturn in consumer spending over the past two years. This is due to fewer products available on supermarket shelves, confusion among consumers regarding product labels and the impact of inflation on household purchasing power. As a result, French consumers have reduced their preference for products with the white leaf on a green background certification. In 2023, according to Agence Bio, consumer spending was virtually stable in value terms, at nearly €12 billion. However, this figure includes the effect of price inflation. In terms of volume, the trend is still downward. Moreover, the organic share of the French diet, which was 6.4% in 2021, then 6% a year later, has fallen to 5.6%.
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