During a press conference at the International Agricultural Show in Paris, French Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau announced a new plan to support organic farming with an aid package of 90 million euros [98 million USD], in addition to the emergency support of over 104 million euros [113 million USD] for 2023.
Eligibility criteria:
100% organic and/or in conversion. 100% of primary agricultural production must be certified organic and/or in conversion. More than 85% specialized in organic farming, certified in organic farming and/or in conversion and having sales from organic farming representing more than 85% of the farm's total sales for the financial year for which compensation is paid.
The farm must have suffered the following degradation in its economic indicators:
- Either a loss of Gross Operating Profit (EBITDA) in 2023/24 (last financial year closed between June 1st, 2023 and May 31st, 2024), greater than or equal to 20% compared to the average of the financial years closed between June 2018 and May 2020;
- Or a loss of sales in 2023/24 greater than or equal to 20% over the compensated financial year compared with the average of the financial years closed between June 2018 and May 2020.
"Funding below requirements"
According to Philippe Camburet, president of the French Federation of Organic Farming (FNAP), "this organic aid fund still falls short of the needs of the sector, which continues to sink into crisis. With such an amount, we will probably only be able to help 15% of farms, while we should be able to help twice as many."