• Ecotone leads the organic segment in France with a value share of 6.6% in 2023, followed by Groupe Lactalis with a value share of 4.2% and Nestlé SA with a share of 2.9%. 
• France ranks third globally in terms of market size, with a value of US$6,577.7 million in 2023. It is the largest consumer market for organic packaged food and beverages in Western Europe, also being the third largest in terms of per capita consumption of organic food and beverages in the region.

• Organic products in France represent roughly 10.2% of global demand, 33.8% of the market in the Western Europe region, recording a per capita expenditure of US$99.7 in 2023. 
• The French market for organic products is projected to increase with a value CAGR of 0.2% for the forecast period 2023-2028 in 2023 constant prices with fixed USD exchange rates, reaching a value of US$6,637.7 million by 2028.

• The Organic Packaged Food and Beverages category in France registered a value increase of 3.6% in 2023 in current prices to record a market size of US$6,577.7 million. 
• During the historic period 2019-2023, the Organic Packaged Food category registered a CAGR of 6.0% in current prices. However, for the forecast period from 2023 to 2028, the growth is expected to slow significantly, with a projected CAGR of just 0.2% in constant prices.
• Organic Beverages saw a similar performance, growing historically at a 5.5% current CAGR, with growth also expected to slow down to a 0.1% constant CAGR over the forecast period.
• Growth in Organic Packaged Food was primarily driven by Organic Dairy Products and Alternatives, which recorded a 7.3% current CAGR during the historic period. However, it is now expected to decline by a constant CAGR of 0.2% over the forecast period.
• Within Organic Beverages, Organic Hot Drinks led both historic and projected growth, with CAGRs of a current 6.8% and a constant 1.0%, respectively.

• An increased focus on the negative impact of processed food has increased the popularity of healthier food and beverage options with claims such as natural, organic, no sugar/no added sugar (especially in beverages), low fat, and high protein/fiber being sought-after. According to Euromonitor International's Voice of the Consumer: Lifestyles Survey, fielded January-February 2024, 46% of consumers in France look for healthy ingredients in the food and beverages they consume.
• Organic is one of the leading claims for health and wellness products in France thanks to rising concern about the potentially negative health effects of various pesticides and chemical additives that are widely used in packaged food production. These types of products are prevalent in France, with intensification in price competition and growing availability of more affordable brands and private label lines helping to ensure demand for organic products remains constant.

• Ecotone leads the Organic Packaged Food category with a market share of 7.1% in 2023, growing by a small 0.3pp since 2020. The company has an extensive portfolio of organic and plant-based products including dairy alternatives, hot drinks, plant-based proteins and gluten-free bread and biscuits. 
• Nestlé SA became the new leader of Organic Beverages in 2023 with an 8.4% share, overtaking Britvic Plc in the process. However, both companies lost market share, mainly due to more organic products entering the market.

• Interest in plant-based and vegan products is set to rise in France, as health, environmental and animal welfare concerns lead more people to consciously reduce their consumption of meat or eliminate it from their diets entirely. With a renewed focus on home cooking, many people are now also increasingly choosing to prepare vegan and vegetarian meals from scratch using fresh ingredients, with packaged products increasingly perceived to be overly processed.
• Across the forecast period, sales of Organic Cooking Ingredients and Meals are projected to rise at a 1.1% constant value CAGR to reach US$692.4 million in 2028, the highest projected CAGR of all organic categories. The increasing demand for clean label products that are made with more nutritious natural ingredients is the main driver for this increase. Across the forecast period, Organic Olive Oil will be the leading product in the Organic Cooking Ingredients and Meals landscape, reaching sales of US$24.1 million for 2028, supported by a forecast CAGR of 6.3% for the category.

• Manufacturers across France are leveraging fortified and functional foods and beverages as a primary tool for premiumization of otherwise common products. This is due to a trend toward products being marketed toward specific consumer needs, such as energy-boosting products, as manufacturers respond to consumer demands for products that benefit both the body and mind. This is further fueled by the prevalence of allergies in the general population, increasing demand for gluten-free and lactose-free products.
• France recently updated its Nutri-Score food labelling system, which consists of a front-of-pack labelling system that uses five coordinated colors and letters to rate how healthy a packaged food is based on its fat, sugar, salt, and calorie content per 100g or 100ml, ranging from A grade to E grade. The changes, which include a revision on the score given to products like milk and olive oil, aim to offer shoppers clearer and more accurate nutritional data while encouraging manufacturers to improve the quality of their products.

Economy:

• • France’s economy is projected to stagnate in 2025, with 0.6% real GDP growth expected. The performance is primarily attributed to stagnant domestic demand due to flat growth in consumer spending and weak foreign trade, highlighted by the effect of tariffs on all exports to the US.
  • Real GDP growth is anticipated to gradually recover, reaching 1.1% in 2026 and averaging around 1.2% annually through to 2028.
  • Inflation closed 2024 at 2.0% and is expected to decelerate further to 1.4% in 2025.

Population demographics:

• France's population reached 66.1 million in 2024 and is projected to grow by 0.3% to 66.3 million in 2025. There has been an aging trend in the country for some time, as the proportion of its population aged over 65 years old increased from 20.6% in 2020 to 21.8% in 2024, compared to a decline for the population aged 0-14 from 17.6% in 2020 to 16.8% in 2024. 
• The median age in France was recorded at 42.8 years in 2024, an increase of 0.7 years from 2020. 

Income & expenditure:

• The savings ratio in France reached 16.5% of disposable income in 2024, continuing a steady upward trend in recent years, driven by increasing consumer uncertainty, with people saving rather than spending or investing their money.
• Consumer expenditure per capita grew by 2.8% in 2024 in current USD terms. In constant USD terms, it is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 0.8% through to 2028. This growth is likely driven by increased spending on housing, which is also projected to remain the major consumer spending category. This is mainly due to population expansion focused on urban areas, escalating housing costs in cities.
• Disposable income per capita was US$29,899 in 2024. It is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 0.8% through to 2028, lower than the average projected growth for Western Europe.

¹ Health and Wellness Definition: Health and wellness is the aggregation of organic packaged food and beverages, fortified/functional packaged food and beverages, naturally healthy packaged food and beverages, better for you packaged food and beverages and food intolerance products.

The above definition and more can be referenced from the definitions table at the end of the report.

² Economic and Demographic Data has been updated to reflect final 2024 estimates, therefore using 2024 as the base year for exchange rates and prices.

³ Historic current prices and forecast constant 2024 prices.

Top 5 Cities By Population

Top 5 Grocery Retailers By Sales

Top 5 Export Commodities To France

Note : Total organics is the sum of all exports to a country within a year.

Authorized Government Agency(s):

Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry 
Organic Agriculture

National Institute of Origin and Quality (Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité - INAO), the French competent authority for organic farming.

French Agency for Development and Promotion of Organic Farming (L’Agence Française pour le Développement et la Promotion de l’Agriculture Biologique - L’Agence BIO)

European Union (EU) Member States retain the authority to determine additional requirements for production within their country. They can also determine exceptions due to catastrophic circumstances, but cannot restrict access to products in compliance with EU regulations. In addition, the EC delegates most authority for the administration of organic programs to the Member States.

Name(s) of Regulation and/or Standard:

The European Union has an Equivalency Agreement with the United States.

This 2022 consolidated version repeals and replaces previous organic regulations and contains the basic legislative act plus amendments and corrections that set the rules on organic production and labeling of organic products: EU 2018/848 (pdf in English) 

Key secondary acts not included in consolidated EU 2018/848 include: 

• Retroactive recognition for the purpose of conversion, the production of organic products and information to be provided by EU countries: EU 2020/464 (pdf in English)
• Conditions for authorization and lists of authorized products and substances for use in organic production: EU 2021/1165 (pdf in English)
• Supplemental rules on the official control, traceability and mass balance checks for operators and groups of operators: EU 2021/771 (pdf in English)

A full list of basic legislative act and secondary acts is available here.

French national standards:

• Specifications concerning the organic production method of farm animals and supplementing the provisions of EU Regulation 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 and its secondary acts These specifications set out in particular the detailed production rules for the following animal species: quails for meat, llamas and alpacas, ostriches, snails.
• Specifications for commercial catering outside the home (version in force on January 1, 2020)
• Specifications concerning the organic production method of salt supplementing the provisions of EU Regulation 2018/848 and its secondary acts

Date of Implementation: 1992

Regulation and/or Standard Scope:

EU standards cover crop, livestock, processing, and certification of groups of operators. Farm and handling plans are required, as well as detailed record keeping and detailed livestock feed standards.  Specific standards are included for aquaculture, seaweed, yeast, bees, sprouted seeds, chicory heads, wine, mushrooms, and salt. Criteria for determining allowed materials include consistency with the objectives and principles of organic farming, and materials must be of plant, animal, microbial or mineral origin. Synthetic substances, however, may be used when they replicate the natural sources and when they are approved for organic production in the EU.

EU requires that imported organic products meet EU standards. Non-EU organic products must include country of origin labeling if they wish to use the EU organic logo. Use of the EU organic logo is not required for products from outside the EU. EU requires that imported products must be from countries that have been recognized by the EU (third-countries) and certified by recognized control bodies (certifiers); or countries with bilateral equivalency arrangements (Canada, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, U.S.); or countries with equivalency agreements (Chile, Switzerland, UK).

List of third countries and the list of control authorities and control bodies recognized for the purpose of importing organic products into the EU: EU 2021/2325 (pdf in English)

Requirements have been established for importers, operators responsible for the consignments, first consignees and consignees for the import of organic and in-conversion products into the EU.

Documents and notification required EU 2021/2307 (pdf in English)

Beginning February 3, 2020, port of entry health authorities will only endorse a certificate of inspection if the certifier issued it prior to export. Certain sections of the certificates (boxes 13, 16, and 17) may be filled in with provisional information, since certifiers can not verify all of the data before the product is exported. The provisional information must be confirmed/updated within 10 days, and before the certificate can be endorsed at the port of entry.

Exports from the U.S. to EU must adhere to the EU procedures and require an EU Certificate of Inspection (COI). A USDA-accredited certifying agent must complete an electronic COI through the European Union's Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) before the product leaves the U.S. Certain edits to the COI may only be made within 10 days of issuing the original COI.

EU Trade in Organics

The EU requires organic certification for all those involved in production and handling, including importers. EU requires ALL processing operations to be certified, even if those products are below the 95% threshold for the "Organic" label.

EU delegates the authority for investigations, non compliance, mediation, and testing, as well as reporting, exclusion from organic sale, emergency treatments and appeals to the Member States in accordance with their respective control system plans.

The EU allows private sector standards for the product categories, such as cosmetics and textiles, which are not fully regulated by the EU.  In the EU certifiers (control bodies) can require additional organic crop, livestock and processing standards in association with the use of their certification seal.

The EU has unified the control systems that Member States and control bodies implement for investigations, non-compliance, mediation, testing, reporting, exclusion from organic sale, emergency treatments and appeals.  Required reports, records and certificates are submitted in electronic format through the use of the Organic Farming Information System.  

In addition to the EU organic regulations for certification and accreditation procedures, the requirements of EN 45011 and ISO Guide 65 for accreditation must be met. 

Requirements for recognition of control authorities and control bodies: EU 2021/1698 (pdf in English)

Use of Organic Farming Information System and templates for annual reports: EU 2021/1935 (pdf in English)

Record keeping and declaration requirements from operators and groups of operators EU 2021/2119 (pdf in English)

List of control authorities and control bodies for equivalence 

Control bodies in the European Union

FiBL Country reports
U.S. International Trade Administration

USDA’s GAIN Report France Exporter Guide (2024)
USDA's GAIN Report France Retail Foods (2024) 
USDA's GAIN Report France Food Processing Ingredients (2024)
USDA's GAIN Report France Food Service Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional (HRI) (2024)
USDA’s GAIN Report Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Export Certificate Report (2024)
USDA’s GAIN Report Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Country Report (2024)
USDA’s GAIN Report French Decrees Set the Timeline for the Reduction of Plastic Packaging but Offer Few Details on Implementation and Enforcement (2022)

USDA's GAIN Report Economic Woes Slows Growth in EU Organic Sales (2024)
USDA’s GAIN Report EU Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Country Report (2024)
USDA’s GAIN Report EU Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Export Certificate Report Annual(2023)
USDA's GAIN Report EU 2024 Promotion Programs for Agricultural Products (2023)
USDA's GAIN Report EU Adopts New Rules for Organic Pet Food (2023)
USDA’s GAIN Report Procedure for EU TRACES Registration of Honey and Other Apiculture Products Establishments - New EU Market Access Rules from 29 November 2024 (2024)
USDA’S GAIN Report EU Consumers save on food and buy less organic in 2022 (2023)
USDA’S GAIN Report COVID-19 Boosts Organic Food Sales in the EU (2022)
USDA’S GAIN Report Update on Changing EU Import Conditions for Composite Products (2022)
USDA’S GAIN Report European Commission Launches Public Consultation on the Revision of EU Food Labeling Requirements (2022)
USDA’S GAIN Report New EU Labeling Rules for Wines (2022)
USDA’S GAIN Report Continuing Good Prospects for US Organic Exports to the EU (2021)
USDA’S GAIN Report New EU Organic Regulation Entering Into Force in 2021 Regulatory Update (2020)
USDA’S GAIN Report EU Launches Consultation on Future Organics Action Plan (Sept. 2020)
USDA’S GAIN Report Food Labeling Initiatives in the EU Farm to Fork Strategy (2020)
USDA’S GAIN Report Pesticides Initiatives in the EU Farm to Fork Strategy (2020)
USDA’S GAIN Report Good Prospects for US Organic Exports in the EU (2020)