A real expertise

FRANCE IS A COUNTRY WITH A STRONG AGRICULTURAL AND GASTRONOMIC TRADITION

With more than 20% of European Union production, France is a country large in agricultural production and consumption. Its agriculture is very diversified and occupies 54% of the territory, being a surface area of 29,6 million hectares.

 

• - 14 % of exploitations are dedicated to wine growing
• - 22% to large-scale growing
• - 41% to breeding /rearing

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French farmers, numbering 890 000 in 2005, are the leading producers of cereals, eggs, cattle, poultry and wines in the European Union. This production is primarily consumed in France.

 

• - close to 70 million tonnes of cereal
• - more than 19 million cattle
• - more than 15 million pigs in French livestock
• - more than 223 million hectolitres of cows milk products
• - more than 916 million head of poultry

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France is the third largest world exporter of agricultural products and processed foodstuffs, behind the United States and Holland, with 39 billion € of products exported in 2005 (11% of total French exports). The sector produces a trade surplus of 8 billion €.

 

The majority of French exports derive from products grown in the country. The top four French export items are wines and spirits with 20% value share, tinned foods and grocery products (14%), cereals (10 %) and milk products (10%).

Our European neighbours remain our top clients with 74% of exports (Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain).

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The French gastronomic tradition has given birth to the number one French industrial sector in terms of turnover with 138 billion Euros in 2004, the second largest employer with 420 000 employees distributed across more than 10 000 companies, predominantly small and medium sized (between 10 and 249 people).

The level of safety of agricultural and food products destined for the French and international markets does not stop rising. This is the result of a sustained will to run a voluntary health policy in respect of food processing in parallel with the development of cultivation and French expertise.

 See the illustration