Elisabeth Mercier, President of l’Agence Bio says that “since the 1st January 2015, 12 farmers per day are committing to organic farming.” This is a 16% increase at the start of the year compared to the first 5 months of 2014. 2014 had already seen a 36% increase in acreage in its first year of conversion compared to 2013. Acreage in 2014 increased by +4% compared to 2013 reaching 1.1 million hectares of organically farmed land. The number of organically run farms also increased by 4% reaching 26,500 farms (5.6% of French farms).
76% of consumed organic products come from France. These are mainly fruit (15% of acreage). A +9% increase in farms converting to organic farming for fruit and vegetables has been recorded. In 2014, purchases of organic products for mass catering increased +11% compared to 2013, reaching €191 million (excl. tax).