Organic livestock farming in France: farm structure, spatial distribution and recent trends

Abstract

In 2021, organic farming (OF) represented 10.3% of the French utilised agricultural area. This type of farming is regulated by European regulations and principles which, combined with a specific relationship with consumers, has led to the development of production systems that can be differentiated from conventional ones. The Agence Bio, the national coordination agency in charge of the development, promotion and structuring of French OF, manages a database which records all French operators certified in OF and which feeds the “National Observatory of Organic Farming” (ONAB). Thanks to this database, we were able to refine our knowledge of French farms that are both fully engaged in OF and have a livestock activity. After a general presentation allowing us to identify the main types of farms according to their level of livestock specialization and the type of associated crops, we analysed eight major production sectors: dairy and beef cattle, sheep for milk and meat, goats, laying hens, broilers and pig production. For each sector, we specify the geographical location of the farms while taking their size and livestock diversification level into account. This first analysis highlights the strong impact of the local presence of historical conventional livestock sectors that have developed an OF segment, with possible repercussions on the size of the units and on the level and type of diversification of the farms. These last elements might potentially interact with marketing channels, as short or long distribution channels.