Organic poultry production in France : status, bottlenecks, advantages and perspectives

Abstract

France currently leads European organic chicken and egg production. Each production, however, represents only a small percentage of national production. Organic production has declined for chicken and remains stable for eggs, but each does not cover the respective domestic demand. The French organic poultry industry could resume growth by taking advantage of new opportunities for development within a context that includes consumer pressures, expressed political will, and evolution of European regulations. We analyse the advantages and bottlenecks characteristic of these types of production. Multicriteria analyses of these production systems must be done at the national scale. They should include the various biotechnical components, from agricultural soil management to the final product, via regional production of raw vegetable matter, along with economic, social, and political components. Despite the positive image that organic products have in terms of animal welfare, product quality, or environmental respect, some previously identified constraints are obstacles to their development. It is therefore necessary to take them into account and carefully analyse them to define new production and commercial paths. These paths should accommodate a consistent and sustainable development, meet society’s complex expectations, produce products of quality that respect the environment and are available to many, and favour rural employment and regional development. This complex problem is the object of two complementary pluriannual research programmes beginning in 2009, AlterAviBio and AviBio.