COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Commission recommendations for France's CAP strategic plan Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Recommendations to the Member States as regards their strategic plan for the Common Agricultural Policy
Date: 2020-12-18
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: EU strategy, France, agricultural policy, climate change policy, common agricultural policy, cooperation on agriculture, digitisation, food security, innovation, rural development

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 18.12.2020  SWD(2020) 379 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Commission recommendations for France's CAP strategic plan Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Recommendations to the Member States as regards their strategic plan for the Common Agricultural Policy {COM(2020) 846 final} - {SWD(2020) 367 final} - {SWD(2020) 368 final} - {SWD(2020) 369 final} - {SWD(2020) 370 final} - {SWD(2020) 371 final} - {SWD(2020) 372 final} - {SWD(2020) 373 final} - {SWD(2020) 374 final} - {SWD(2020) 375 final} - {SWD(2020) 376 final} - {SWD(2020) 377 final} - {SWD(2020) 384 final} - {SWD(2020) 385 final} - {SWD(2020) 386 final} - {SWD(2020) 387 final} - {SWD(2020) 388 final} - {SWD(2020) 389 final} - {SWD(2020) 390 final} - {SWD(2020) 391 final} - {SWD(2020) 392 final} - {SWD(2020) 393 final} - {SWD(2020) 394 final} - {SWD(2020) 395 final} - {SWD(2020) 396 final} - {SWD(2020) 397 final} - {SWD(2020) 398 final}  
 
 
Contents 
1.  COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FRANCE’S CAP STRATEGIC PLAN
 ........................................................................................................................................         2 

1.1  Foster a smart, resilient and diversified agricultural sector ensuring food 

security ........................................................................................................................... 2 

1.2  Bolster environmental care and climate action and contribute to the 

environmental- and climate-related objectives of the Union .................................... 3 

1.3  Strengthen the socio-economic fabric of rural areas and address societal 

demands.......................................................................................................................... 4 

1.4  Foster and share knowledge, innovation, digitalisation in agriculture and rural 

areas ................................................................................................................................ 5 

1.5  Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 6 

2.  ASSESSMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN FRANCE .. 
 ................................................................................................................................................ 9 

2.1  Support viable farm income and resilience across the EU territory to enhance 

food security ................................................................................................................... 9 

2.2  Enhance market orientation and increase competitiveness including greater 

focus on research, technology and digitalisation ...................................................... 11 

2.3  Improve farmers' position in the value chain ........................................................... 13 

2.4  Contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as sustainable 

energy ........................................................................................................................... 14 

2.5  Foster sustainable development and efficient management of natural resources 

such as water, soil and air ........................................................................................... 16 

2.6  Contribute to the protection of biodiversity, enhance ecosystem services and 

preserve habitats and landscapes............................................................................... 18 

2.7  Attract young farmers and facilitate business development in rural areas ........... 20 

2.8 Promote employment, growth, social inclusion and local development in rural 

areas, including bio-economy and sustainable forestry ........................................... 22 

2.9  Improve the response of EU agriculture to societal demands on food and health, 

including safe, nutritious and sustainable food, as well as animal welfare. ........... 24 

2.10  Cross-cutting objective on knowledge, innovation and digitalisation ................... 26 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1.  COMMISSION  RECOMMENDATIONS  FOR  FRANCE’S  CAP  STRATEGIC 

PLAN  

In  the  framework  of  the  structured  dialogue  for  the  preparation  of  the  common  agricultural 
policy  (CAP)  strategic  plan,  this  document  contains  the  recommendations  for  the  CAP 
strategic plan of France. The recommendations are based on analysis of the state of play, the 
needs  and  the  priorities  for  agriculture  and  rural  areas  in  France.  The  recommendations 
address  the  specific  economic,  environmental  and  social  objectives  of  the  future  common 
agricultural  policy  and  in  particular  the  ambition  and  specific  targets  of  the  Farm  to  Fork 
Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. As stated in the Farm to Fork Strategy, the 
Commission invites France, in its CAP Strategic Plan, to set explicit national values for the 
Green Deal targets1, taking into account its specific situation and these recommendations. 

1.1  Foster  a  smart,  resilient  and  diversified  agricultural  sector  ensuring  food 

security 

The shift to a sustainable food system presents French farmers with both significant economic 
opportunities  and  challenges.  France  is  among  the  Member  States  with  the  highest 
agricultural  factor  income  per  work  unit.  However,  while  average  farm  income  fluctuated 
around EUR 30 000 per annual work unit between 2005 and 2019, it has become increasingly 
volatile  since  the  mid-2000s,  owing  to  market  fluctuations  (price,  input  costs)  and  extreme 
climate events, which have been increasing in severity and frequency.. Moreover, income is 
unevenly  distributed  between  farms  of  different  physical  sizes,  as  well  as  among  different 
sectors and territories. In particular, there is very considerable heterogeneity among farms of 
between  30  and  75  hectares.  Besides,  in  the  case  of  direct  support,  level  of  support  varies 
greatly  by  individual  farmer,  illustrating  still  a  high  link  to  individual  historic  references, 
based on past characteristics of production.  

The  national  plan  for  risk  management  has  shown  some  effectiveness  in  addressing  this 
volatility.  Overall,  the  number  of  areas  benefiting  from  subsidised  multi-risk  climatic 
insurance have increased in recent years. However, price volatility continues to affect income, 
and the  coverage level of risk management instruments  remains  relatively  low and variable 
among sectors. The agriculture and agri-food sectors also have a substantial financing gap as 
regards investments. Access to working capital finance is a key issue for the farm sector and 
small  agri-food  business.  Support  for  investment  to  improve  quality,  increased  consumer 
interest  in  quality  and  organic  food,  differentiation  of  products,  and  increased  efficiency  in 
supply chain management could help boost added value.  

France  has  the  largest  number  of  recognised  producer  organisations  in  the  EU,  and  French 
farmers, processors and traders are organised in inter-branch organisations. However, a rising 
concentration  ratio  (e.g.  retailers),  together  with  farmers’  increasing  limited  access  to 
essential services and infrastructure (slaughterhouses, dairy processors) in some territories, is 
curtailing farmers’ bargaining power in the value chain.  There is  also  growing competition, 
on  both  the  domestic  market  and  export  markets,  in  agri-food,  a  strategic  sector  that  ranks 
third  in  terms  of  surplus  in  the  overall  French  trade  balance.  Yet  this  surplus  has  been 
shrinking  over  time,  which  indicates  that  competitiveness  is  declining  in  certain  sectors, 
particularly animal products. 

1   It concerns the targets related to use and risk of pesticides, sale of antimicrobials, nutrient loss, area under 

organic farming, high diversity landscape features and access to fast broadband internet. 

2 

 
 
                                                           
1.2  Bolster  environmental  care  and  climate  action  and  contribute  to  the 

environmental- and climate-related objectives of the Union 

The size of the agriculture and agri-food sectors in France, and particularly the high share of 
livestock in farm production, poses a number of urgent environmental and climate challenges.  

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the agricultural sector account for nearly 20% of total 
national  emissions,  which  is  above  the  EU  average.  However,  emissions  per  hectare  of 
agricultural land are close to the EU average, while emissions per unit of production value or 
per  livestock  unit  are  substantially  lower  than  in  most  other  Member  States.  Though  there 
have  been  reductions  since  1990,  they  are  very  small  and  have  remained  roughly  constant 
over the last decade. 

While agriculture is a source of GHG emissions, the sector also has a role to play in helping 
to  mitigate  them  by  improving  energy  efficiency  and  by  using  and  producing  energy  from 
renewable sources, including solar and wind energy. Half of France’s total renewable energy 
production  comes  from  agriculture  and  forestry  biomass  (2018),  a  share  slightly  below  the 
EU  average  (53.5%).  Renewable  production  from  agriculture/forestry  is  lower  per  hectare 
than the EU average, but there is a rising trend. 

Livestock rearing is also emitter major source of  ammonia emissions, and France is  at high 
risk of failing to meet its emission reduction commitments for both 2020-29 and for 2030 and 
beyond1. Ammonia emissions from agriculture have not fallen significantly over time, France 
therefore  needs  to  introduce  a  clear  and  effective  strategy  for  reducing  these  emissions,  as 
part of mitigating air pollution. Such a strategy should have significant synergies with cutting 
GHG emissions.  

Over  the  coming  decades,  expected  climatic  changes  will  bring  significant  changes  in  the 
conditions  for  agriculture  and  livestock  production.  Although  French  agriculture  is 
technologically developed, its capacity to provide food and to contribute to the provision of 
ecosystem services is directly dependent on climatic conditions. In the absence of adaptation, 
climatic  impacts  could  eventually  reduce  the  agricultural  productivity,  which  is  already 
showing  a  pattern  of  stagnation.  French  farmers  will  need  to  define  their  strategies  for 
production, farm management and investment  in the face of increasing uncertainty,  and the 
CAP strategic plan has a key role for advising and supporting the needed adaptive actions and 
for boosting the sector’s resilience. 

The  steady  trend  towards  sealing  the  soil  and  the  shrinkage  of  permanent  grasslands  are 
strongly  affecting  biodiversity  and  farmland  carbon  sinks.  A  higher  uptake  of  soil 
management  practices  and  agro-forestry  practices  (through  carbon  farming  approaches,  for 
instance) could enhance the role of pastures and grasslands as a carbon sink and eventually 
strengthen  the  resilience  of  the  farming  sector.  Moreover,  grasslands  and  meadows  are 
essential for extensive livestock systems, which have a smaller environmental footprint.  

Water quality (watercourses and groundwater) has improved in recent years, particularly as a 
result  of  the  steady  downward  trend  in  nitrogen  and  phosphorus  surplus.  However,  the 
situation  varies  widely  from  one  area  to  another,  with  poor  water  quality  remaining  a  key 
challenge  in  many  areas  owing  to  diffuse  pollution  from  nitrates  and  pesticides.  France  is 
falling  short  of  the  Water  Framework  Directive’s  objective  of  achieving  good  status  for  all 
water bodies. The country should therefore envisage further action to promote better uptake 
of farming practices that significantly reduce nutrient and pesticide pollution, in line with EU 
Green  Deal  targets.  This  should  include  focused  research,  innovation  and  dissemination 
activities on low impact forms of farming. 

3 

 
 
(grasslands) 

status  of  agricultural  habitats 

Preserving  biodiversity  remains  a  challenge  in  many  of  France’s  farming  areas.  The 
largely  assessed  as 
conservation 
unfavourable/inadequate  or  bad,  while  only  20%  of  grasslands  show  a  favourable 
conservation status. Current trends show only limited improvements. The main challenges are 
to  improve  ecological  connectivity  (hedges  and  other  landscape  features),  protect  plant  and 
animal  species characteristic of farmed  environments  (birds, flora, pollinators), and manage 
Natura 2000 farmland. Priority measures will need to take account of the needs identified in 
the new French prioritised action framework for 2021-2027, which is currently at the drafting 
stage. In line with the Biodiversity Strategy, protecting and restoring ecosystems in France’s 
outermost regions is a high priority, given their exceptionally high biodiversity value. 

is 

Farming systems based on agro-ecological methods and lower input use, which help to better 
reconcile  the  protection  of  natural  resources  with  agricultural  production,  are  developing 
apace.  The  area  given  over  to  organic  farming  has  more  than  doubled  between  2010  and 
2018, reaching 2 million hectares and 7% of total agricultural land, which is slightly below 
the EU average (8%). While this trend is very positive, much remains to be done to attain the 
ambitions of the Farm to Fork Strategy. 

In  the  Commission’s  view,  French  agriculture  needs  to  pursue  its  ecological  and  climatic 
transition in line with the objectives of the Farm to Fork and the Biodiversity Strategies. The 
future  CAP  Strategic  Plan  should  play  an  important  role  by  boosting  environmental  and 
climate ambition, thereby raising the level of minimum requirements and creating appropriate 
incentivising tools, in complementarity with France’s recovery plan2 and, in particular, with 
the country’s agro-ecological transition measures.  

1.3  Strengthen  the  socio-economic  fabric  of  rural  areas  and  address  societal 

demands 

GDP per capita in rural areas of France is substantially below the national level and has been 
declining,  although  it  remains  above  the  EU  average.  The  gap  between  rural  and  national 
values  has  remained  largely  the  same  over  the  years.  New  businesses  in  the  agri-food  and 
forestry  sectors  face  financial  difficulties  and  uncertain  economic  prospects  in  some  rural 
areas, start-ups and SMEs being the most constrained.  

The  generation  renewal  in  agriculture  is  key  for  the  future  of  the  sector  as  well  as  for 
maintaining  the  socioeconomic  fabric  of  rural  areas,  where  agriculture  still  represents  a 
significant activity. France has one of the EU’s largest shares of young farmers (aged below 
35)  in  the  total  number  of  farm  managers,  but  the  renewal  rate  is  declining  and  varies 
considerably between regions and sectors.  Elderly people account  for a larger proportion of 
population (24.3%) in rural areas than in the rest of the country, and a higher proportion than 
the EU average. The rural employment rate (68%), which surpasses the national average, is 
very  close  to  the  EU  average.  However,  it  is  lower  for  women  (62%).  Women  account  for 
only  21%  of  farm  managers  (below  the  EU  average)  and  27%  of  France  total  agricultural 
labour force.  

Sustainable  forest  management  holds  great  potential  for  enhancing  the  contribution  forests 
make  to  the  bioeconomy,  the  provision  of  ecosystem  services  and  biodiversity.  Despite  the 
significant area covered by forests (31.5% of the total territory), many French forests are not 
actively  managed.  This  may  hamper  the  role  they  play  as  carbon  sinks,  their  resilience  to 
weather extremes, and the provision of other goods and services. Over 2013-2018, only 18% 
of  forest  habitats  belonging  to  the  Natura  2000  network  were  in  a  favourable  state  of 
conservation.  Although  the  situation  has  improved  since  the  previous  evaluation  period 

4 

 
 
(2007-2012), French forests still have a worse status than the EU average. This is something 
France needs to address. 

The bioeconomy represents a policy route for the development of rural areas in line with the 
Green Deal objectives and provides for new economic opportunities for farmers. In France, it 
directly provides nearly two million jobs, and it has great potential for employment growth by 
2030.  Access  to  basic  services  in  rural  areas  (such  as  healthcare,  childcare,  social  care 
(including  care  for  elderly),  internet)  is  essential  to  attract  people  to  rural  areas.  CAP  tools 
work in synergy and complementarity with other EU funds to ensure better services in rural 
areas for the benefit of all rural residents.  

LEADER  has  provided  the  basis  and  support  for  territorial  projects  that  implement  actions 
based  on  integrated,  targeted  and  bottom-up  local  strategies,  with  positive  effects  on  local 
development,  financial  engineering  and  coordination  in  rural  areas.  Under  the  2014-2020 
rural  development  programmes, France has 340  local  action  groups throughout  its territory, 
covering  27 000  municipalities  and  26  million  in  habitants  (67.5%  of  the  total  rural 
population).  

When  developing  its  CAP  Strategic  Plan,  France  should  consider  the  diversity  and  specific 
situation of different areas across the country. This is particularly true and relevant in the case 
of areas with specific needs and vulnerabilities, such as the outermost regions referred to in 
Article  349  of  the  TFEU,  which  should  be  appropriately  addressed  with  relevant  CAP 
instruments. 

The impact on human health of inputs into crop and livestock production has become a major 
social  concern.  Animal  welfare  and  the  way  farm  animals  are  raised  and  transported  is 
increasingly central to social debate about farming, especially as regards the welfare of pigs 
and laying hens. As regards the use of antimicrobials, the situation in France is more positive 
than  in  a  number  of  other  Member  States.  In  contrast,  overall  use  of  the  more  hazardous 
pesticides, and the risk associated with them, need to decrease over the next few years, in line 
with the ambitions and targets of the Farm to Fork Strategy. France should also strive to move 
towards  healthier,  more  environmentally  sustainable  diets,  in  line  with  national  dietary 
recommendations. 

Finally, ensuring protection for farmworkers, especially precarious, seasonal and undeclared 
workers, is vital to uphold the rights laid down in legislation that are an essential component 
of the fair EU food system that the Farm to Fork Strategy is designed to achieve. 

1.4  Foster and share knowledge, innovation, digitalisation in agriculture and rural 

areas 

Tackling  the  economic,  environmental  and  social  challenges  outlined  in  the  previous 
paragraphs  is  an  essential  step  in  the  transition  towards  sustainable  food  production.  It  will 
require efforts to bring new technologies and innovation into this field. 

The  French  Agricultural  Knowledge  and  Innovation  System  (AKIS)  is  considered  to  be 
strong and relatively well integrated. It is not restricted to the agricultural sector, but extends 
to related activities (e.g. the environment, climate, biodiversity, food and non-food systems, 
including processing and distribution chains, consumers and citizens). More could be done to 
promote  cooperation  among  private  and  public  advisors,  including  with  the  operational 
groups (OGs) of the European innovation partnership. France could also promote innovation 
support services and ‘one-stop-shops’ to help developing innovative ideas into viable projects 
for agricultural and rural businesses, as well as innovation networking.  

5 

 
 
Broadband coverage of rural  areas remains a challenge, particularly as regards reaching the 
objective of 100% coverage by 2025. Currently, more than half of France’s rural areas are not 
covered  by  any  Next  Generation  Access  (NGA)  technology.  This  means  that  France  is 
lagging behind the EU average.  

France  is  participating  in  EU  projects  dealing  with  the  uptake  of  new  technologies  to 
modernise  the  CAP.  A  shift  towards  the  use  of  satellite-based  means  to  monitor  CAP 
implementation  could  make  a  significant  contribution  to  the  digital  transition  and  to  more 
widespread use of satellite observation, precision farming, geolocation services, autonomous 
farm machinery, and drones.  

1.5  Recommendations 

To address the above interconnected economic, environmental, climate and social challenges, 
the Commission considers that the French CAP strategic plan needs to focus its priorities and 
concentrate its interventions on the following objectives, while adequately taking into account 
the high territorial diversity of the French agriculture and the rural areas: 

Foster a smart, resilient and diversified agricultural sector ensuring food security 

  Improving  the  resilience  of  the  agricultural  sector  against  market  and  climatic 
events  by  alleviating  income  variability  through  appropriate  incentives  such  as  risk 
management  instruments  as  well  as  investments  focused  on  adaptation.  Previous 
efforts  to  improve  the  distribution  of  support  have  brought  France  to  the  point  of  a 
smooth move away from the link to historical references towards internal convergence 
and better targeting of direct support. Current efforts observed should be pursued, by 
continuing 
the 
complementary  redistributive  income  support  for  sustainability  and  the  reduction  of 
payment. 

internal  convergence  process  and  using, 

for  example, 

the 

  Increasing  the  competitiveness  of  the  French  agricultural  and  agri-food  sectors  by 
improving access to finance, and by providing investments support, in particular for 
sustainable production models offering high quality or organic products that increase 
farm added value. 

  Promoting sectoral initiatives and cooperation, especially in sectors with lower or 
decreasing  competitiveness,  and  cross-sectoral  cooperation  at  territorial  level  to 
enhance  economies  of  scope,  but  also  to  accompany  restructuring  and  economies  of 
scale  where  necessary,  to  gain  efficiencies  and  to  produce  at  lower  costs,  including 
cooperation between plant and animal sectors on fertilisers and feeding stuffs. 

Bolster  environmental  care  and  climate  action  and  contribute  to  the  environmental  and 
climate-related objectives of the Union 

  Strengthening efforts to reduce GHG emissions, to improve energy efficiency, to 
foster  renewable  energy  production  and  to  reduce  ammonia  emissions  so  as  to 
further  contribute  to  the  EU  goal  of  reaching  climate  neutrality,  to  the  Methane 
Strategy  and  to  the  reduction  of  air  pollution.  Recommended  actions  include 
supporting  relevant  farm  and  agri-food  investments,  strengthening  advisory  services 
and  promoting  on-farm  GHG  assessment  tools  to  improve  energy  and  climate 
performance. 

6 

 
 
  Supporting the adaptation of agriculture to future climatic changes by addressing 
the  risks  which  jeopardise  its  capacity  to  deliver  food  and  its  contribution  to  the 
provision  of  ecosystem  services  which  are  directly  dependent  on  the  climatic 
conditions  via  the  promotion  of  adaptive  farming  practices,  landscape-level 
solutions and investments. 

  Halting  the  decline  and  degradation  of  permanent  grasslands,  and  remunerating 
the  protection  of  these  carbon  stocks  and  the  enhancement  of  carbon  removals  as  a 
key  carbon  farming action that contributes as well to  protecting the biodiversity and 
the landscapes associated to agricultural areas. 

  Fostering uptake of farming practices to reduce nutrient pollution from fertiliser 
use and nitrogen surplus to contribute to the EU Green Deal targets, particularly 
in  areas  with  high  livestock  density  and  intensive  crop  cultivation,  by  promoting 
transition  to  high  environmental  value  production  systems  such  as  low-input, 
agro-forestry, agro-ecological and biodiversity-friendly approaches, to better reconcile 
agricultural production with the protection of natural resources and to respond to the 
social concerns regarding the conditions under which food is produced. France should 
also contribute to the EU Green Deal target on organic farming by enhancing the 
current  increasing  trend  through  appropriate  incentives  for  the  conversion  and 
maintenance of organic farming. 

  Improving  the  protection  of  biodiversity  by  enhancing  farmers’  uptake  of 
appropriate  farm  management  practices,  by  increasing  habitat  protection  and 
restoration,  in  line  with  the  Prioritised  Action  Framework,  and  by  maintaining  the 
presence  and  increasing  the  density  of  hedges  and  trees  and  other  woody  landscape 
elements  to  contribute  to  the  EU  Green  Deal  target  on  high  diversity  landscape 
features. France should use all the elements of the Green architecture (conditionality, 
eco-schemes and rural development interventions) for preserving and expanding green 
infrastructure  on  farmland,  especially  in  arable  land,  and  to  help  farmers  to  evolve 
towards more biodiversity friendly models. 

Strengthen the socio-economic fabric of rural areas and address societal demand 

  Contributing  to  the  EU  Green  Deal  and  Farm  to  Fork  targets  on  pesticides  by 
strengthening  the  efforts  to  decrease  the  quantities  and  risks  of  used  pesticides 
and  promoting  the  sustainable  use  of  pesticides,  in  particular  by  ensuring  the 
uptake of integrated pest management practices. 

  Contributing  to  achieving  the  EU  Green  Deal  target  of  reducing  the  sale  of 
antimicrobials.  Whilst  sales  are  below  the  EU  average,  France  should  continue  to 
implement measures to reduce the use of antimicrobials in agriculture, for example by 
integrating targets into concrete and more ambitious CAP actions. 

  Improving animal welfare by putting in place more ambitious measures to promote 
best  livestock  management  practices,  especially  for  pigs  and  laying  hens,  and  the 
transport of animals. 

  Fostering the entrepreneurial initiatives in rural areas by taking advantage, among 
others,  of  the  relatively  high  share  of  young  farmer  population  and  the  advisory 
system,  as  well  as  promoting  diversification  into  other  economic  activities  and 
employment sources, and supporting the emergence of collective projects through 
local cooperation and LEADER and through the multi-funded territorial instruments 

7 

 
 
(CLLD,  ITI).  France  should  also  continue  supporting  investments  in  rural 
infrastructures  and  services  by  targeting  in  particular  those  rural  areas  and 
vulnerable  groups  most  in  need  with  an  appropriate  mix  of  interventions  whilst 
ensuring synergies with the other EU funds (ERDF, ESF, ERI). 

  Fostering  sustainable  forest  management  through  a  multifunctional  approach 
including:  forest  protection  and  restoration  of  forest  ecosystems  in  order  to  enhance 
ecological  services  and  biodiversity,  supporting  efforts  to  reach  good  condition  of 
forest  habitats  and  species,  integrating  forests  into  land  use  planning,  preserving 
stocks  and  increasing  the  carbon  sinks  in  forests,  their  soils  and  harvested  wood 
products,  supporting  investments  in  forests,  forestry  and  the  circular  bioeconomy  to 
create added value in rural areas and to contribute to a low carbon economy. 

Fostering  and  sharing  of  knowledge,  innovation  and  digitalisation  in  agriculture  and  rural 
areas, and encouraging their uptake 

  Increasing  the  attractiveness  of  rural  areas  and  contributing  to  the  EU  Green 
Deal  target  by  completing  investments  in  fast  broadband  and  in  connectivity 
reaching  the  door  of  all  households  in  rural  areas  in  particular  in  sparsely 
populated areas, in synergy with the other EU funds (ERDF, RRF), whilst accelerating 
the  development  of  digital  and  knowledge  skills  in  rural  areas.  France  should  also 
foster  the  modernisation  and  digital  transition  of  French  farming  by  further 
exploiting  the  EU’s  technological  capacity  to  tackle  the  economic,  environmental 
and social challenges. 

  Strengthening  the  AKIS  to  enhance  the  sustainability  performance  and 
competitiveness  of  the  agricultural  sector  and  related  activities,  and  to  support 
Green Deal priority actions on climate change, circular economy, zero-pollution and 
biodiversity,  to  ensure  improved  interaction  among  public  and  private  advisors,  by 
developing  innovation  support  services  and  networking  to  help  emerging 
interactive innovation projects. 

8 

 
 
 
 
2.  ASSESSMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE  AND  RURAL  DEVELOPMENT  IN 

FRANCE 

France has an important agricultural sector in terms of production, with a significant sectoral 
and  territorial  diversity.  French  agriculture  has  undergone  deep  structural  changes  over  the 
recent  years, and its number of holdings, agricultural area and livestock have declined since 
2005. In 2017, the utilised agricultural area (29 million ha) represents more than half of the 
territory  (52%)  but  has  declined  by  3%  since  2000,  resulting  in  a  decrease  in  permanent 
grassland. The main land use are arable land including temporary pastures (63%), permanent 
grasslands (33%), and permanent  crops (4%).  France has  an important  livestock herd of 22 
million  livestock units, which has however declined by nearly 3% between 2005 and 2016. 
Over  60%  of  the  agricultural  production  value  comes  from  vegetal  production,  particularly 
arable crops. Compared to  other EU countries, cereals  (14%), cattle (12%) and wine (14%) 
have a highest share in the production value. 

France  has  around  456  000  farms  with  an  average  area  of  64  ha,  a  size  higher  than  EU27 
average  but  similar  to  other  central  Member  states.  Over  the  period  2005-2016  the  total 
number of farms in France declined by nearly 20%. This declining trend concerns most of the 
sectors  but  at  different  scale.  The  number  of  specialised  cereals  and  oilseeds  holdings  has 
gone  up  while  the  number  of  milk  farms  and  permanent  crop  farms  have  considerably 
declined. France has  one of the highest  share of  young farmers (below 35  years old) in  the 
total  number  of  farm  managers  (8.3%  compared  to  the  5.1%  on  average  in  the  EU-27  in 
2016).  However,  the  renewal  rate  is  generally  declining,  though  it  strongly  varies  between 
regions and sectors. 

France is a major player in agricultural and food markets. The agri-food is a strategic sector 
that represents the third surplus in the overall trade balance of France (on average  EUR 8.4 
billion a year). France is a major exporter of wine and spirits, animal, milk and milk products, 
cereals and seeds.  

France has the fourth largest forest in the EU (17.2 million hectares), representing 31.5% of 
the total French territory and growing continuously. 

The GDP per capita is French rural areas (EUR 22 087 PPS) is substantially lower than the 
national level. New businesses in the agri-food and forestry sectors face difficulties in some 
rural areas, start-ups and SMEs being the most constrained. The rural employment rate (68%) 
is  above  the  national  level,  but  lower  for  women  (62%).  Adequate  services  and 
infrastructures, such as the NGA broadband, healthcare, childcare, social care incl. for elderly 
are essential for attracting people in rural areas. 

2.1  Support viable farm income and resilience across  the EU territory to enhance 

food security 

In France, the agricultural income is on average about 63% of the average wage in the whole 
economy between 2005 and 2018. This share fluctuates over the period (45% in 2009; 76% in 
2018)  but  is  always  higher  than  the  EU-average  (40%).  The  gap  seems  to  narrow  slightly 
during the period3.  

The  average  agricultural  factor  income  fluctuates  around  29 400  EUR/annual  work  unit 
between 2005 and 2019. The income is quite volatile (EUR/AWU 21 588 in 2009 to 36 351 
in  2019),  but  stands  well  above  the  EU-average  (more  than  the  double),  placing  France 
among the 10 Member States with the highest income per work unit4. Income volatility has 
increase since the mid-2000 due to  market  (price, input costs)  as  well as  production (yield) 

9 

 
 
fluctuations.  The  rise  of  the  severity  and  frequency  of  extreme  climate  events  and  the 
reduction of crop diversity have contributed to reduced farms resilience. 

For the period 2015-2018, direct payments account for 28% of the factor income5 while rural 
development payments represent 7% of the factor income6, which is close to the EU average. 
As regards the Basic Payment Scheme, France does not apply the flat rate model but a partial 
convergence by 2019 for the region ‘hexagon’. The unit amount per hectare varies greatly by 
individual farmer7, illustrating the still high link to old individual historic references, which 
are  increasingly  difficult  to  justify.  Agricultural  factor  income  is  unevenly  distributed 
between holdings, sectors and territories.  

The factor income tends to decrease with physical farm size (up to 75 hectares) and then to 
increase. This can notably be related to the high share of wine farms (with high income) in 
classes below 30 hectares, while between 30 and 75 hectares, very different sectors with very 
different  income  levels  are  represented.  Conversely,  the  amount  of  direct  payments  per 
hectare tends to increase up to 75 hectares and decreases regularly above8. Income increases 
whereas  direct  payments  per  hectare  decrease  constantly  with  economic  farm  size5.  The 
redistributive payment may play a role in these trends, as well as the modulation of voluntary 
coupled support (decreasing unit amount with increasing physical size) in some sectors. 

In terms of sectors, income is highest for some field crops (others than cereals and oilseeds) 
and  wine,  lowest  for  permanent  crops  and  for  sheep  and  goats  farms.  Direct  payments  per 
hectare are the highest for livestock (cattle, milk, sheep and goats or mixed livestock farms) 
and  average  for  all  other  sectors  (except  for  wine,  which  is  the  lowest).  The  share  of  total 
income support (direct payments and rural development support for the areas facing natural 
constraints) in agricultural income is the highest for most livestock sectors and the lowest for 
wine, horticulture and orchards5. The low level of direct payments in wine and horticultural 
farms is explained by the fact that these sectors were historically not much supported by the 
CAP.  

Income levels differs considerably between types of areas. Average farm income (per AWU) 
is much higher in areas without natural constraints (more than EUR 35 000) than in the areas 
with natural (and other specific) constraints (ANC), with the mountain ANC areas getting the 
lowest  income  (slightly  above  EUR  25  000).  However,  total  CAP  support  per  hectare  is 
highest  in  mountain  ANC  (EUR/ha  475  vs  EUR/ha  275),  which  partially  compensates  the 
income differences9. 

In  terms  of  risk  management  instruments10,  an  increase  of  areas  benefiting  from  subsidised 
multi-risk climatic insurance has been observed in recent  years to reach 30% of agricultural 
areas (4.8 million hectares in 2018), with a significant increase in the viticulture sector which 
is  the  best-covered  production.  The  additional  not-subsidised  insurance  offers,  in  particular 
hail insurance, cover around 5.2 million hectares. However, the level of coverage remains low 
and is extremely variable depending on the agricultural production. Field crops and industrial 
vegetables are the best-covered sectors (about 30% and 25% respectively) while arboriculture 
(2.4%)  and  pastures  (0.9%)  are  least  covered.  For  permanent  crops,  the  offer  of  risk 
management tools is not well adapted while for pastures adapted risk insurances have recently 
been in place and need higher uptake by farmers. 

The recent evaluation of the national plan for risk management (under the rural development 
policy) shows the positive effect of insurances for mitigating the increasing income volatility 
due to climatic events, even if the effect of price volatility on income persists. 

10 

 
 
Trend in agricultural income (versus average wage in the economy) in France 

Agricultural factor income per AWU in real terms  

Agricultural income as % of average wage in the economy 

Agricultural income as % of average wage in the economy – EU-27 

Source: DG AGRI, based on EUROSTAT [aact_eaa04], [aact_ali01] and [aact_eaa06]11 

2.2  Enhance  market  orientation  and  increase  competitiveness  including  greater 

focus on research, technology and digitalisation 

Over the period 2005-2016 the total number of farms in France declined by nearly 20%. Over 
a  longer  time  period  (1998-2016)  the  number  of  farms  has  reduced  by  half.  This  declining 
trend  concerns  most  of  the  sectors  but  at  different  scale.  The  number  of  specialised  cereals 
and oilseeds has gone up by nearly 25% between 2000 and 2016 (from 49.5 to 69.5 million 
farms)  while  the  number  of  milk  farms  and  permanent  crop  farms  have  substantially 
declined12. 

The agricultural area reduced from 29.6 million ha to 29 million ha, mainly due to decrease in 
permanent  grassland13.  Average  farm  size  increased  from  52  ha  to  64  ha.  The  main  use  of 
land  is  as  follows:  arable  land  including  temporary  pastures  (63%),  permanent  grasslands 
(33%),  and  permanent  crops  (4%).  However,  the  share  of  grassland  is  much  higher  is  the 
centre and in western regions. The number of livestock units (LU) has also declined by nearly 
3% between 2005 and 2016 (mainly cattle) and is equal to 22 million LU14. Livestock density 
has  remained  stable  (around  0.77  LU/ha),  which  reflects  the  predominantly  extensive 
character of livestock farms (mainly cattle). Compared to other EU countries, cereals (14%), 
cattle (12%) and wine (14%) have the highest share in the production value15. 

The total factor productivity (TFP) of the farming sector has been increasing slightly, mainly 
due to the outflow of labour (-18% between 2005 and 2018). The TFP index is below the EU-
average (106 against 110 in 2018 (base year 2005)) and is one of the lowest of all EU MS16. 
This relatively low increase should however be put in the context of a high starting position, 
as  France  still  has  the  third  highest  labour  productivity  in  agriculture  in  the  EU17.  Land 
productivity,  which  reflects  yield  increase,  is  rather  stable,  while  labour  productivity  is 
growing.  France  has  the  highest  agricultural  gross  fixed  capital  formation  in  the  farming 
sector  among  EU  countries.  Investments  (mainly  equipment  and,  to  a  lesser  extent, 
buildings), which is one of the main drivers for productivity rise, have increased until 2012 
but are decreasing since then. The share of investments in agriculture in the gross value added 
has  gone  down  from  41%  in  2012  to  32%  in  2018.  The  debt  rate  of  holdings  is  relatively 
important (42.6% in 2017) although variable according to the sectors18. 

11 

 
 
 
 
The agri-food industry is a key economic sector in France (15% of the added value and 15% 
of  employment  of  industrial  sector),  even  though  its  turnover  is  decreasing.  Small  and 
medium  enterprises  (SMEs)  are  predominant  (95%  of  the  total)  and  have  strong  territorial 
anchoring.  The  small  size  limits  innovation  and  investments  capacity  as  well  as 
competitiveness.  The  investment  rate  in  agri-food  industries  has  stagnated  since  the  early 
2000s  while  labour  cost  (among  the  highest  in  the  EU)  have  gone  up.  As  a  result,  the 
productivity of milk, meat and animal feed industries has declined over the last twenty years. 
Price  and  non-price  factors  (certain  products  do  not  find  export  markets)  explain  the 
productivity  decline,  even  though  the  numerous  products  with  quality  indications  (such  as 
cheese) allow French enterprises to increase their added value19. 

Agriculture  and  agri-food  sectors  have  a  financing  gap  for  investments,  which  is  estimated 
between EUR 1.3 billion and EUR 1.7 billion in the agricultural sector, and EUR 2.9 billion 
in the agri-food sector20. Access to working capital finance is key issue for the farm sector. 
Small  agri-food  business  are  also  particularly  constrained  for  having  access  to  finance. 
Available public support tools do not  reach  a significant  share of small enterprises and this 
support seem to lack focus on the agri-food sector and investments in non-tangible assets for 
innovation21. 

France  is  a  major  player  in  agricultural  and  food  markets,  even  if  the  country  is  facing 
growing  competition  on  the  domestic  market  as  well  as  on  export  markets.  France  has  a 
negative  agri-food  trade  balance  with  other  EU  member  states  since  2013  and  a  positive 
balance with countries outside the EU. Agri-food is a strategic sector that represents the third 
surplus in the overall trade balance (on average EUR 8.4 billion a year). This trade surplus is 
shrinking  over  time,  which  points  out  to  a  declining  competitiveness  in  certain  sectors 
(mainly  animal  products).  Imports  (mainly  fruits)  are  raising  more  rapidly  than  exports. 
While  France  is  still  a  major  exporter  (wine  and  spirits,  animal,  milk  and  milk  products, 
cereals and seeds), the share of animal products has been reduced by half between 2000 and 
2016.  

Total factor productivity in agriculture in France (Index 2005 = 100) 

Total factor productivity 

Labour productivity 

Capital productivity 

Land productivity 

Intermediate costs productivity 
Source: EUROSTAT for TFP and DG AGRI for partial productivity22  

TFP EU-27 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
2.3  Improve farmers' position in the value chain 

The output of the French agricultural  sector has  been relatively stable around an average of 
EUR  73.9  billion  over  the  last  ten  years.  The  total  intermediate  consumption  has  stabilised 
around  EUR  44.7  billion,  which  leaves  above  EUR  29.2  billion  for  the  French  agriculture 
gross value added at basic prices. The Gross Value Added is about 41.6% of the output of the 
French agricultural “industry”, slightly below the part of the Gross Value Added of the EU-
27 agricultural “industry” (43.1%) in average over the 3 last years23. The share of the value 
added for primary producers in the food chain is slightly decreasing in France between 2013 
and 2017. It is in the same range than the EU average. In 2017, 23% of the value added in the 
food chain went to primary producers.  

The French agriculture is characterised by a high diversity of agricultural products. In 2017, 
close to 55% of the agricultural production value is coming from four sectors: wine (14.5%), 
cereals  (14.4%),  milk  (13.8%)  and  cattle  (11.8%)24;  the  other  sectors  representing  still  a 
significant  part  of  EU agricultural  output. The distribution of added value strongly  depends 
on  the  structure  and  characteristics  of  the  specific  supply  chain.  In  recent  years,  several 
initiatives  have  targeted  the  balance  of  power  in  the  value  chains,  in  particular  the  law 
EGalim25 on balancing of trade relations between agriculture and the food sector.  

France has the largest number of recognised producer organisations in the EU (724). POs and 
cooperatives,  including  those  that  are  not  recognised  as  POs,  have  an  80%  share  of  dairy 
production,  but  only  50%  of  fruits  and  vegetables  production  as  well  as  50%  of  beef 
production26.  French  farmers  and  processors  or  traders  are  also  organised  in  numerous 
Interbranch organisations (IBOs). France has close to half of the recognised IBOs in the EU 
in a wide range of sectors27. Still, the increasing concentration ratio (e.g. of retailers) as well 
as the limited access to services and infrastructures (slaughterhouses, dairy processors…) in 
some regions is identified as limiting the bargaining power of farmers in the value chain. The 
number  of  slaughterhouses  decreased  by  20%  between  2000  and  2010  and  they  are 
increasingly  concentrated  in  several  regions  dominated  by  livestock.  Veterinarians  also 
become scarce in some rural areas28. 

Value  chains  remain  highly  dependent  on  input  costs  and  in  particular  on  very  volatile 
commodities  (livestock  feed,  fertilisers,  etc.).  In  France,  cooperatives  would  account  for 
about  70% of agricultural  supplies to  farmers. On the other side of the value chain,  market 
differentiation and short supply chains are strategies that are stimulated in France. There are 
763  French  designations  protected  as  quality  labels  among  which  256  are  registered  as 
agricultural products and foodstuff. The sales value of French PDO/PGIs represents close to 
EUR  27  billion  in  2017  (85%  related  to  wines  and  spirit  drinks)  with  an  increase  of  30% 
since 201029.  

The  area  under  organic  production  has  been  growing  steadily  over  the  last  ten  years:  from 
about 500,000 ha in 2008 to 2 million ha in 201830, which is the second largest organic area 
in the EU. In 2018, the share of total organic area in total utilised agricultural area (UAA) was 
7%, slightly below the EU27 average of 8%31. The sectors with the highest share of organic 
area are pulses (40.2%) and fruits (23.3%). The sectors with the lowest share of organic area 
are vineyards (12%), forage (10%) vegetables (7%) and cereals and oilseeds crops (4%). In 
the livestock sector, laying hens (13%), dairy ewes (10.8%) and goats (9%) have the highest 
share of organic production, while sows (1.3%) and broiler chicken (1.6%) have the lowest.  

13 

 
 
 
Regarding  short  supply  chains,  it  concern  mainly  the  vegetable  and  horticulture  sectors  for 
which  close  to  50%  of  the  farms  have  above  75%  of  their  turnover  based  on  short  supply 
sales32, and there are many initiatives throughout the broad spectrum of sectors and types of 
short supply chains.  

Value added for primary producers in the food chain in France (in million EUR) 

Primary production 

Food and beverage manufacturing 

Food and beverage distribution 

Food and beverage consumer services 

% for primary producers (right axis) 
Source: CAP Result indicator RPI_0333 

% for primary producers – EU-27 

2.4  Contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as sustainable 

energy 

The  GHG  emissions  from  agricultural  sector  (including  CO2  emissions  from  cropland  and 
grassland) accounts for nearly 20% of the total national emissions (2018), higher that the EU 
average.  Emissions  of  methane  (CH4)  and  nitrous  oxide  (N2O)  account  for  16%.  This  high 
share is due to the structure of the French farming sector, particularly the weight of livestock 
sectors. Nearly 45% of emissions are CH4 from enteric fermentation of ruminants and manure 
while 43% are N2O from agricultural soils with organic and mineral nitrogen fertilisation and 
manure management34. Agriculture emits also CO2 from energy consumption but its share on 
the total CO2 emissions is very low (less than 3%)35. 

The French agricultural sector accounts for 17% of the total EU agricultural emissions and is 
the first emitter of the EU. However, the (non-CO2) emissions per hectare of agricultural area 
(UAA)  in  France  are  close  to  the  EU-average.  Compared  to  other  Member  States,  France 
ranks 12th on emissions per hectare of UAA, 18th on GHG per unit of production value, and 
24th per cattle unit36.  

Emissions from agriculture decreased by 4% between 1995 and 2018 (compared to -13% EU-
28), particularly due to  the decrease in  livestock numbers and mineral  fertiliser use. Over a 
longer period (1990-2018) emissions declined by 9.2%. In addition, the agri-food sector is an 
important GHG emitter, mainly due to the important energy use in their production processes 
(e.g., sugar, animal products). 

Permanent  grasslands  (32%  of  total  UAA)  are  a  “hot  spot”  of  carbon  stocks  that  have 
decreased  between  2000  and  2014.  This  trend  seems  to  have  stabilised  since  201437. 
Conversion  of  permanent  grasslands  to  other  land  uses,  particularly  crops  and  temporary 
pastures, has also an important impact on the carbon stocks of farmland areas.  

14 

 
 
Forests account for 38% of total  carbon sinks in  soils. The forest sinks are increasing since 
1990  because  of  the  rise  of  forest  areas,  though  this  increase  rate  is  slowing  down.  The 
reasons are not well known but ageing of forests and the rise in the extreme events could be 
among  the  factors  explaining  this  trend.  Preserve  stocks  and  increase  the  carbon  sinks  in 
forests,  their  soils  and  harvested  wood  products  should  be  a  priority.  Half  of  the  total 
renewable energy production comes from agriculture and forestry biomass (2018). This share 
is slightly below the EU-27 average (53.5%). Around 37% of energy production comes from 
wood while 13% comes from agricultural biomass, mainly biofuels and biogas. France has a 
lower production of renewable energy per hectare from agriculture/forestry compared to the 
EU-average, which shows however an upward trend38. Agriculture and forest sector account 
for  less  than  3%  of  the  final  energy  consumption  (2018),  mainly  oil  combustion  for 
machineries and equipment. In addition, food processing accounts for 3.6% of energy use39.  

The  National  Low  Carbon  Strategy  foresees  that  agricultural  and  forestry  sectors  play  an 
essential  role  in  achieving  carbon  neutrality  by  2050  and  sets  targets  for  reducing  the 
farming's emissions by 18% in 2030 and by 46% by 2050 (compared to 2015).  

Expected climatic changes will have further consequences for the availability of water, pests 
and  diseases  leading  to  significant  changes  in  the  conditions  for  agriculture  and  livestock 
production. It will also increase the pressure on natural resources and it risks reducing carbon 
storage  in  soils.  For  the  past  forty  years,  water  has  become  scarce  in  the  southern  regions, 
which are regularly confronted with water availability limits in the summer. Over the next 10-
30 years, France will be increasingly exposed to a changing rainfall pattern, which will lead 
to  more  severe  water  deficits  during  the  growing  season.  It  will  also  be  highly  exposed  to 
more  frequent  and  severe  heatwaves  and  droughts,  and  outbreaks  of  pests  and  diseases. 
Although climate change is a global process, its local impacts are diverse. Overall net effects 
on farm activities will vary across the French regions and between farm types within the same 
region.  The  Mediterranean  basin  will  become  more  arid,  while  the  Mediterranean  climate 
could move westwards and northwards. The north of France is expected to be generally less 
affected than southern and central France. In the absence of adaptation, climatic impacts will 
eventually reduce the agricultural productivity in a substantial part of France.  Possible short 
to medium term adaptive solutions can include: changing land use and management practices 
(agroecological practices), improving soil and landscape management (such as agroforestry), 
improving  the  effectiveness  of  pest  and  disease  control  through  for  instance  better 
monitoring, diversified crop rotations, or integrated pest management methods. To make the 
sector  more  resilient,  the  water  management  can  be  improved  by  switching  to  less  water 
intensive crops, improving the crop varieties (early maturing, heat and drought resistant, etc.) 
and using water more efficiently by reducing water losses, improving irrigation practices, and 
storing and recycling water. 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture (including and excluding LULUCF) in 
France (in million tonnes of CO2 equivalents) 

Grassland 
Cropland 
Agriculture 
% of agriculture in total GHG emissions (exc. LULUCF) 
% of agriculture (incl. emissions from cropland and grassland) in total GHG emissions (incl. LULUCF) 
EU-27 % of agriculture (incl. Emissions from cropland and grassland) in total GHG emissions (incl. LULUCF) 

Source: European Environmental Agency. As in EUROSTAT [env_air_gge] 

2.5  Foster sustainable development and efficient management of natural resources 

such as water, soil and air 

Although the quality of natural resources in France has improved in recent years, it continues 
to be under pressure from certain production systems that are particularly intensive. 

The  French  agricultural  sector  was  responsible  for  94%  of  the  total  ammonia  emissions  in 
2018,  mainly  from  livestock  (65%)  but  also  from  the  spreading  of  mineral  and  organic 
fertilisers40.  France  is  at  high  risk  of  non-compliance  with  its  commitments  to  reduce 
ammonia  by  2020-2029  and  by  2030  as  set  by  the  National  Emission  Ceilings  Directive. 
After  a  very  slight  decreasing  trend  since  1995,  ammonia  emissions  are  not  decreasing 
significantly  over  time  since  2005,  while  EU-27  emissions  have  decreased  until  2013  (and 
increased up again until 2016). The renewal of tractors and agricultural equipment has driven 
a significant reduction (by 49%) of nitrogen oxides (NOx) (1990-2017)41. 

The  situation  of  water  quality  is  not  entirely  satisfactory  and  France  is  not  achieving  the 
objective  of  the  Water  framework  directive  of  reaching  good  status  of  all  water  bodies. 
Around  54%  of  surface  water  bodies  are  in  less  than  good  ecological  status  and  16%  are 
failing  to  achieve  a  good  chemical  status.  For  groundwater  around  10%  are  failing  good 
quantitative status and around 31% are failing good chemical status.  Diffuse pollution from 
agriculture  (mainly  chemicals  and  nitrates)  is  the  largest  pressure  accounting  for  more  than 
70%  in  surface  waters  and  54%  in  groundwater.  On  average  2015-2017,  63%  of  surface 
waters  and  70%  of  groundwater  were  in  good  chemical  condition42.  The  highest 
concentrations of pesticides are found on banana plantations in Martinique and in the arable, 
vineyards and orchards areas of the north and southwest regions.  

Nearly 27% of the groundwater and 57% of surface water are concerned by diffuse pollution 
from  nitrates43.  According  to  the  latest  report  transmitted  by  the  French  authorities  in  the 
context  of  the  Nitrates  Directive,  nitrates  water  pollution  show  an  increasing  trend  in  the 
north  and  the  east  of  the  country  for  the  period  2016-2019.  Nitrates  concentrations  are  the 
highest  in  the  western  regions  (high  livestock  density)  as  well  in  areas  with  intensive  crop 

16 

 
 
 
 
cultivation.  In  2015,  nitrates  vulnerable  zones,  in  which  national  and  regional  action 
programmes, are implemented cover 68% of French UAA.  

The  quality  of  watercourses  has  improved  over  the  last  years:  reduction  of  12%  of  nitrates 
concentrations  between  1998  and  2017  (especially  in  western  agricultural  regions)  and  of 
37%  decline  of  orthophosphates  (because  of  reduced  use  of  phosphate  fertilisers  and  better 
treatment of wastewater). These developments remain though contrasted at territorial level44. 

The  quality  of  groundwater  has  also  improved  recently.  On  average  2015-2017,  73%  of 
groundwater stations show high water quality (compared to 66% in 2012) while 4.6% are of 
poor quality (nitrates concentration over 50 mg/l) (8% in 2012). 

These trends are partly the result of nitrogen and phosphorus surplus that are decreasing over 
time. The (estimated) nitrogen balance has decreased by 11 kg/ha of agricultural land over the 
last  twenty  years  (55  kg/ha/y  over  1996-2005  and  44  kg  N/ha  over  2014-2017,  which  is  a 
30% decline)45. France's gross nitrogen balance is  slightly lower than the European average 
(49  kg/ha).  From  2000  to  2017,  the  phosphorus  balance  is  getting  closer  to  zero  as  it  has 
declined from 9 to 1 kg P/ha/y. The average 2014-2017 (1.3 kg P/ha/y) is slightly higher than 
the  EU-27  average  (0.5  kg  P/ha/y).  In  the  regions  where  cropland  is  predominant,  the 
phosphorus balance has become negative while is still significant in Britany46. 

The  volumes  of  water  for  irrigation  represent  around  10%  of  all  the  freshwater  volumes 
withdrawn in France in 2015 (two-thirds coming from surface water)47. The water abstraction 
shows  a  decreasing  trend  between  2000  and  2012  and  it  is  not  generally  identified  as  a 
significant pressure as 90% of groundwater are assessed to be in a good quantitative status48. 
Between 2010 and 2016, irrigated areas decreased by 13.7% in France while they increased 
by 3.1% in the EU. The share of irrigated land (mainly maize) slightly declined from 5.7% 
(2010)  to  4.9%  in  2016.  However,  south-western  regions,  where  maize  production  is 
significant, can face water summer deficits. 

Support  for  farming  practices  that  are  more  beneficial  to  water  remains  relatively  weak  in 
France.  Under  rural  development  programmes,  5%  of  the  French  agricultural  land  is  under 
agri-environment contracts to improve water management in 2018, compared to 12% in EU-
27.  

Agricultural soils are severely shrinking in France. The French utilised agricultural area (29 
million  ha)  has  decreased  by  4%  between  2000  and  2015.  The  current  soil  loss  rate  ranges 
from  50  to  60 000  ha  per  year,  from  which  80%  is  taken  out  from  agricultural  area49.  This 
trend  triggers  increased  pressure  for  the  remaining  farmland  areas  to  keep  agricultural 
production. The soil sealing has important impacts on farmland carbon stocks as well as on 
biodiversity and landscapes.  

When it comes to soil quality, the (estimated) share of soil at risk of loss by water erosion is 
in France (2.8%) below the EU average (6.6%). The soil erosion is estimated (in 2016) at 2.2 
t  ha-1  yr-1,  below  the  EU  average  (2.5  t  ha-1  yr-1)50.  The  south  and  southeaster  vineyards  and 
parts of the Pyrenean and Alpine territory are among the most fragile areas. In the Northern 
France, arable land is particular vulnerable to water erosion due to poor soil cover during part 
of the year. In the future, soil preservation can be addressed in synergy with activities under 
the Horizon Europe mission on Soil Health.   

17 

 
 
Kg N/ha/year 

Potential surplus of N and P on agricultural land in France 

Kg P/ha/year 

Potential surplus of nitrogen on agricultural land (in kg N/ha/year) 

EU-27 GNB for Nitrogen 

Potential surplus of phosphorus on agricultural land (in kg P/ha/year) 

Source: EUROSTAT [aei_pr_gnb]51 

2.6  Contribute  to  the  protection  of  biodiversity,  enhance  ecosystem  services  and 

preserve habitats and landscapes 

France hosts a major part of the EU’s  biodiversity (35% of all EU species and 58% of bird 
species  nesting  in  Europe).  The  enhancement  of  biodiversity  protection  and  preservation  of 
habitats  and  landscapes  in  the  French  context  remains  a  key  challenge  on  farmland.  In  the 
long  term,  the  intensification  and  the  specialisation  of  production  as  well  as  the  territorial 
specialisation have driven negative effects on biodiversity of agricultural ecosystems.  

The  Farmland  bird  index  has  strongly  decreased  from  106.5  in  1995  to  63.8  in  201852. 
Compared to EU trends, the situation in France is slightly worse. 

The  protection  provided  by  Natura  2000  covers  7  million  hectares  of  the  land  territory, 
making France the second Member State in terms of terrestrial area covered by Natura sites. 
It  corresponds  to  12.9%  of  the  French  terrestrial  territory,  while  Natura  2000  extends  over 
19.8%53 of the Union’s land territory. 8.4% of agricultural land and 19% of forest areas are 
included  in  the  French  Natura  2000  sites.  These  shares  are  much  higher  in  the  southern 
regions.  

According to  the last  reporting of France under the EU Habitats  Directive (2013-2018), the 
conservation  status  of  agricultural  habitats  (mainly  grasslands)  is  largely  assessed  as 
unfavourable-inadequate  (20%)  or  bad  (57%),  while  only  20%  of  grasslands  are  in  a 
favourable  conservation  status  (this  share  was  of  18%  in  the  previous  assessment  period 
2007-2012)54.  This  assessment  is  very  similar  to  the  EU  average.  The  trends  show  stability 
for more than 25% of species and habitats  of “community interest”, further degradation for 
40% of them and an improving trend for 8% of them. The situation of species is more mixed. 
Some  protected  species  show  an  improving  conservation  trend,  notably  the  wolf,  and,  to  a 
lesser extent, the lynx, while the mortality of domestic bees has substantially increased over 
the last 20 years.  

Beyond  habitats  linked  directly  to  agriculture,  60%  of  habitats  assessments  and  64%  of 
species assessment are affected by agriculture. Only 22% of habitats of “community interest” 
are in a favourable conservation status. Wetlands, agro-pastoral and coastal areas are among 
the least preserved habitats.  

18 

 
 
 
As regards forest habitats, 18% are in a favourable state of conservation over the period 2013-
201855, whereas, 77% are in unfavourable status. Alpine forests seem to be in a better state of 
conservation  than  other  forests.  Although  the  situation  has  improved  compared  to  the 
previous evaluation period (2007-2012), it remains in a worse status compared to EU average. 

At the same time, the “low input intensity” area increased between 2004 and 2016 from 10% 
to 14%, as did the “high input intensity” area, which increased from 40% to 47%. Permanent 
pastures have decreased by a third between 1970 and 2017 (from 14.1 million hectares to 9.2 
million hectares), the most significant decreases being observed until the early 2000s (-1.2% 
per  year against -0.6% per  year between 2000 and 2014), with a tendency to stabilise since 
2014 (-0.1% per year). Hedgerows have reduced (-6% between 2006 and 2014) as well as the 
diversity  of  crop  rotations.    The  area  covered  by  high-diversity  landscape  features  is 
estimated to be 2% of total UAA (1.6% with fallow land and 0.3% with landscape elements) 
with a fairly strong heterogeneity across regions. This coverage is lower than the EU average 
(4.6%) and among the lowest of the MS. 

Against  a  backdrop  of  intensification  and  specialisation  of  the  production,  farming  systems 
based  on  ecosystem  functionalities,  lower  inputs  use  and  that  help  better  reconcile 
biodiversity  with  agricultural  production  have  recently  begun  to  develop  swiftly.  Organic 
farming area has almost doubled between 2012 and 2018 to reach 2 million hectares. France 
has the second largest organic area in the EU. This is a share of 7% of total agricultural land, 
very close to the EU-27 average (8%)56. Organic area has grown at a rate of nearly 10% per 
year, much higher than the annual increase of the overall EU. Nearly 42.000 farms (9.5% of 
the  total)  are  certified  or  in  conversion.  The  number  of  organic  producers  increased  from 
24 425  in  2012  to  41 632  in  2018  (+70%).  The  share  of  animals  held  by  organic  farmers 
increased from 2013 to 2018 for sheep and goats, and to a lesser extent cattle and pigs57. The 
national  programme  “Ambition  bio  2022”  has  set  an  objective  to  reach  a  share  of  15%  of 
organic production by 2022.  

A network of than 3 000 farms (Dephy) has been set up, within the context of the Ecophyto 
plan,  to  test  the  reduction  of  plant  protection  products.  Results  show  that  a  significant 
reduction  (between  15%  and  40%)  of  the  frequency  treatment  index  is  possible  without 
significant variation of farm yields or economic margins per hectare58. 

The number of holdings certified as “agriculture with high environmental value” (the highest 
level  of  environmental  certification  in  France)  is  nearly  2 300  and  it  has  multiplied  by  5 
between 2014 and 2017. Most of the certified farms are from the vineyard sector as they can 
better portray and give a market value to the efforts done to improve management. 

Farming  practices  with  lower  impact  on  biodiversity  and  ecosystems  are  also  developing, 
such  as  areas  with  winter  soil  cover,  no-tillage  labour  and  extensive  livestock.  Agricultural 
area of extensive grazing (grazing livestock production below 1 livestock unit per hectare of 
forage area) increased between 2005 and 2013 from 16% to 20% of the total agricultural land. 
This share is lower than EU average (29%). 

Over  the  period  2015-2017,  the  area  engaged  in  agri-environment-climate  measures  covers 
5.8%  of  agricultural  land  (1.7  million  hectares)59,  less  than  half  the  EU  average  (13.4%  in 
2018).  The  area  engaged  in  the  Natura  2000  sites  (nearly  600 000  hectares)  accounts  for 
nearly  36%  of  the  total  area  covered  by  these  measures  (8.5%  of  the  total  Natura  2000 
farmland)60. 

19 

 
 
Soil  sealing  and  particularly  the  loss  of  farmland  area  is  a  significant  pressure  on  natural 
habitats.  Between  2006  and  2015,  the  trend  rate  was  -1.4%  per  year.  This  declining  trend 
seems to be stabilising since 2014. 

Area under organic farming in France 

Hectares under organic farming 

% of agricultural area under organic farming 

% of area under organic farming in 
the EU-27 

Source: EUROSTAT [org_cropar_h1] and [org_cropar]61  

Share of agricultural area covered by  
high-diversity landscape features in the EU 

20

15

10

5

0

7
2
U
E

E
B

G
B

Z
C

K
D

E
D

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I

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E

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E

R
F

R
H

T
I

Y
C

V
L

T
L

U
L

U
H

T
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L
N

T
A

L
P

T
P

I

O S
R

I

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S

E
S

fallow land as % of agricultural area
Fallow land as % of agricultural area 

landscape elements as % of agricultural area*
Landscape features as % of agricultural area* 

Source: DG AGRI based on Eurostat and JRC based on LUCAS survey62 

* Linear elements considered here: Grass margins, shrub margins, single trees bushes, lines of trees, hedges and ditches. 
This estimation is to be taken with caution because of methodological caveats. 

2.7  Attract young farmers and facilitate business development in rural areas 

France has one of the highest share of young farmers (below 35 years old) in the total number 
of farm managers (8.3% compared to the 5.1% on average in the EU-27 in 2016)63. The ratio 
young / elderly managers (18.8) is also much higher than the EU27 average (5.1) and among 
the highest of the EU. However, while the average number of  young farmers in France had 
remained stable since 2007, the proportion of elderly managers (55 years old and more) has 
increased from 37% to 44% in 2016. Women under 35 years account for 15% of total young 
farm  managers.  The  installation  rate  for  women  has  been  stagnating  for  the  last  10  years 
(27%).  The  ageing  of  farmers  (52  years  old  on  average)  is  a  challenge  for  generational 
renewal in a sector that remains a family tradition. France has seen the number of its farms 
cut  by  half  in  the  last  30  years64.  The  decreasing  farming  population  has  led  to  a  steady 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
growing farm size trend that makes access to land difficult for those who want to set or take 
up a holding. 

In  France,  almost  one  out  of  two  farm  managers  is  not  replaced  and  the  renewal  rate  is 
declining,  though  the  rate  strongly  varies  between  regions  and  sectors.  In  general,  the 
Northeast  of  France  and  the  Mediterranean  area  appear  to  be  the  most  attractive  areas  and 
they have a high rate of farmer’s renewal. As regards sectors, the setting-up is very low in the 
animal  sector,  particularly  milk  production.  The  setting-up  premia  under  EU  rural 
development  policy,  supports  about  a  third  of  total  young’s  installations.  The  setting-up 
outside the family context represents 32% of the total in 2017 and has been increasing over 
years.  Moreover,  the  high  share  of  elderly  managers  suggests  that  many  farmers  continue 
their activity after the legal retirement age (due to the low level of pension), which does not 
leave enough room for renewal.  

Access to land and capital are important barriers for young farmer’s installation, particularly 
for those outside agricultural families, because of the financial costs and the low profitability. 
The price of agricultural land had been steadily rising since 1993 (although is relatively lower 
than in other MS), a trend that is expecting to continue along with the growing size of farms. 
New entrants have difficulties finding capital investments, particularly in the livestock sector, 
and  financing  solutions  when  acquiring  farm  assets.  However,  young  farmers  and  new 
entrants with innovative ideas are particularly constrained for having access to finance. 

French  young  farmers  have  a  relatively  good  training  level.  Access  to  knowledge  has 
different  impact  on  generational  renewal  and  is  more  or  less  developed  according  to  the 
regions, and, sometimes, inside the same region. The share of young farmers with at least a 
basic  level  of  agricultural  training  (85%  in  2016)  is  higher  than  the  share  of  total  farm 
managers  (and  is  the  second  highest  share  in  EU).  About  72%  of  young  farmers  have 
received  full  agricultural  training65.  Nevertheless,  young  farmers  need  an  extra  support  to 
access  lifelong training  and advice, especially when it comes to  sustainable practices,  as an 
increasing  number  of  entrants  are  moving  towards  organic  production  and  other  low-input 
farming. 

The agricultural sector lacks of attractiveness in France for young people. Low income, hard 
working  conditions  and  isolation  in  certain  rural  areas,  and  negative  social  perceptions  as 
regards  the  impact  of  agriculture  on  the  environment,  discourage  the  younger  generation. 
Moreover,  rural  areas  are  often  unattractive  due  to  their  insufficient  infrastructure,  public 
services and job opportunities for the manager’s partners. At the same time, France is among 
the  member  states  with  the  highest  CAP  budget  share  for  supporting  young  farmers66.  The 
EU  and  national  support  (that  takes  very  different  forms)  plays  a  significant  role  in  the 
decision  making  of  setting  up  a  farm  and  improves  the  installation  projects  and  their 
sustainability.  

New  businesses  in  the  agri-food  sector  face  financial  difficulties  and  uncertain  economic 
perspectives in some rural areas. Start-ups and SMEs are the most affected. French start-ups 
are developing towards new technologies and digital tools dedicated to agriculture. The non-
agri-food activities are important for keeping farming activity and attracting new farmers as 
pluriactivity of farm households allows overcoming the low farming income67. 

21 

 
 
Share of farm managers < 35 years by gender in France 

Share of male farm managers below 35 years 

Share of farm managers below 35 years – EU-27 

Share of female farm managers < 35 years 
Ratio < 35 y.o />= 55 y.o. (right axis) 

Source: EUROSTAT. [ef_m_farmang] 

2.8  Promote  employment,  growth,  social  inclusion  and  local  development  in  rural 

areas, including bio-economy and sustainable forestry 

Predominantly rural areas represent 52% of the total French territory, a higher share than the 
EU  average  (45%)  whereas  intermediate  regions  account  for  40%  (below  the  EU  level  of 
46%)68. The share of population living in the French rural  areas (28%) is much higher than 
the EU average (18.6%), although it has slightly decreased since 2015 (by 0.2%)69. Important 
disparities exist at regional level with much higher share of rural population in certain regions 
(above 65% in  Bretagne and Corse) or much lower in  some other (mainly  Ile de  France)70. 
French  rural  regions  have  a  higher  percentage  of  elderly  people  (24.3%)  than  intermediate 
and urban regions, which also exceeds the EU average (21.3%)71. This share has been steadily 
increasing during the recent five years.  

The employment rate in rural areas (68%) is above the national rate (65.5%) and is very close 
to  the  EU  average  (68.9%)72.  It  has  slightly  increased  since  2015.  However,  the  rural 
employment rate of women is lower (62%) and is below the EU level (64.1%), although it has 
slightly increased during the last five years73.  

The  unemployment  rate  in  French  rural  areas  (6.5%)  has  decreased  during  the  recent  years 
and is lower than the national unemployment rate (8.4%) but is higher than the EU average 
(5.6%). The unemployment rate of youth (15 to 24 years) in rural areas is significantly higher 
(17.7%)  and  exceeds  the  EU  average  (13.4%),  although  it  is  below  the  national  rate 
(19.6%)74. 

The  share  of  agriculture  in  the  French  rural  employment  is  relatively  low  (5.7%)  and  is 
decreasing,  but  is  higher  than  its  share  in  the  national  employment  structure  (2.6%)75.  By 
adding  the  agri-food  industry,  the  share  of  employment  of  agri-food  sector  in  rural  areas  is 
nearly 9%76. However, women represent only 21% of farm managers (below the EU average 
of 28%) and 27% of the total French agricultural labour force77. The contribution of primary 
sector to the gross value added of rural regions is between 3% and 5% since 201078, higher 
than its share in the national GVA (1.7%)79 and lower than the EU average (9.5%). 

The GDP per capita in French rural areas (EUR 22 087 PPS) is substantially lower than the 
national average (EUR 31 461 PPS) and has decreased during the last few years (from EUR 
25 106 PPS in 2015). The gap between the rural and national values has been stable over the 

22 

 
 
 
years.  Despite  the  negative  trend,  the  French  rural  GDP  per  capita  remains  above  the  EU 
average of GDP per capita in rural areas (EUR 20 077 PPS)80.  

The rural  poverty rate  in France has declined from  15.9% in  2015 to  13.7% in  2018 and is 
below  the  national  average  (17.4%).  It  is  also  substantially  lower  than  the  EU  average 
(23.5%)81.  

France has the fourth largest forest in the EU (17.2 million hectares) representing  31.5% of 
the  total  French  territory82.  It  has  increased  by  7  million  hectares  since  1990  (+  21%  in  30 
years), mainly through natural colonisation of unused agricultural land, and continues to grow 
at a rate of about 0.7% per year, much lower than in recent decades, particularly in the South-
West, the East and the mountain areas. France has the third largest total output in forestry and 
logging  (EUR  6.6  million)  in  the  EU  (after  Sweden  and  Germany)83.  The  employment  in 
forestry  represents  0.1%  of  total  employment  (or  27 600  jobs),  below  the  EU  average  of 
0.2%84. The sector has 60 000 forest enterprises and accounts for 1.1% of the national GDP. 
Forestry  sector  mostly  consists  of  microenterprises,  which  have  difficulties  for  investing 
taking into account the costs of the equipment. Forestry activities are not evenly distributed 
across the country, and 4 regions (Occitanie, Nouvelle Aquitaine, Auvergne-Rhône Alpes and 
Pays  de  la  Loire)  account  for  80%  of  wood  sawing  potential.  About  three  quarters  of  the 
forests  are  private  (13%  of  owners  concentrate  80%  of  the  surface)  and  their  ownership  is 
quite  fragmented  (over  3  million  of  forest  owners,  2.2  million  own  less  1  hectare).  This 
fragmented structure is an obstacle for wood mobilisation and the production potential is far 
from being fully exploited, while the sector has a long-lasting trade deficit. 

Sustainable  management  of  forests  holds  a  lot  of  potential:  despite  the  significant  forest 
coverage, a large part of French forests are not actively managed, which may hinder the role 
of  forests  as  carbon  sinks,  their  resilience  to  weather  extremes,  and  the  provision  of  other 
goods and services.  

The  bioeconomy,  which  encompasses  all  activities  linked  to  the  production,  use  and 
transformation of bio-resources, offers a potential source of activities and jobs for rural areas. 
The  overall  bioeconomy  industry  represents  nearly  two  million  direct  jobs  in  France,  of 
which  around  100 000  have  been  created  over  the  past  20  years  in  different  areas  (neo-
materials, plant chemistry, biofuels)85. The turnover accounts for EUR 330 990 million, most 
of which belong to the bio-based textiles (56%) and agriculture (21%)86. France exceeds the 
EU  average  in  terms  of  turnover  per  person  employed  in  the  bioeconomy  sector  (EUR 
215 997 vs. EUR 119 000)87. Bioeconomy hosts a great potential for employment creation by 
2030 (estimated at 90 000 jobs)88. 

Access to health and social services is generally lower in rural areas, which is an obstacle to 
keep  and  set  population  in  these  areas.  However,  some  rural  areas  have  potential  to  host 
services for elderly population and to attract urban people provided these areas have the basic 
social services and good connectivity89.  

The  LEADER  measure  has  enabled  the  emergence  and  support  of  territorial  projects  that 
implement actions based on integrated, targeted and bottom-up local strategies, with positive 
effects  on  local  development,  financial  engineering  and  coordination  of  rural  areas.  Within 
the  2014-2020  rural  development  programs,  French  regions  selected  100  additional  local 
action  groups  (LAGs)  compared  to  the  previous  programming  period  to  reach  340  LAGs 
throughout France (covering 27 000 municipalities and 26 million inhabitants or 67.5% of the 
total rural population90). In addition, the envelope dedicated to Leader, EUR 713 million from 
EAFRD  (equivalent  to  6%  of  the  overall  budget),  represents  almost  a  2.5-fold  increase 
compared to the previous period91.  

23 

 
 
Evolution of employment rate in rural areas in France 

Employment rate for the age group 20-64 in rural areas  

Employment rate for the age group 20-64 total  

Employment rate for the age group 20-64 females  
Employment rate for the age group 20-64 in rural areas - 28  

Source: EUROSTAT [lfst_r_ergau] 

2.9  Improve the response of EU agriculture to societal demands on food and health, 

including safe, nutritious and sustainable food, as well as animal welfare. 

Fighting antimicrobial  resistance (AMR)  is  a priority area for the Farm to Fork strategy.  In 
France  all  veterinary  medicinal  products  (VMPs)  are  available  on  prescription  only.  VMPs 
are  distributed  mainly  through  wholesalers  to  veterinarians  and  pharmacists.  Wholesalers 
obtain the VMPs from  marketing authorisation  holders. A 2014 law makes the provision of 
data on antimicrobial sales to the competent authority mandatory92. The tenth ESVAC Report 
shows that the sales of veterinary antimicrobial agents in France for 2018 (64.2 mg/PCU) are 
well below the EU average of 118.3 mg/PCU93. The challenge for France will be to maintain 
and further improve this positive indicator.  

Animal welfare is another priority area for the Farm to Fork strategy, which is absolutely vital 
for  the  sustainability  of  food  systems.  In  relation  to  animal  welfare,  there  are  three  main 
issues  in  France.  The  tail  docking  of  pigs  is  a  routine  practice,  although  this  practice  is 
prohibited as a routine measure by EU rules. The percentage of pigs reared with intact tails 
has  barely  changed  since  2016  and  conditions  on  farm  must  improve  if the  number  of  tail-
docked pigs is to start to decrease. As pointed out since 2012, cages for laying hens also do 
not meet all the necessary requirements of Directive 1999/74/EC. This is having an important 
impact as the country has several millions of laying hens  are still kept in cages. Finally, the 
approval  and  inspection  of  livestock  vessels  does  not  guarantee  the  compliance  of  the  ship 
with the requirements in Regulation 1/2005 and therefore does not adequately minimise the 
risks  for  the  welfare  of  the  animals.  It  is  critical  that  France  devotes  adequate  resources  to 
implementing EU rules in the above areas94. France will need to make significant efforts to 
comply with these rules. 

Ensuring  the  safety  of  pesticides  and  controls  on  their  use  is  integral  to  sustainable  food 
production. France is currently implementing its second National Action Plan (Ecophyto II), 
which  outlines  a  very  ambitious  goal  of  significantly  reducing  pesticide  use  within  a 
relatively  short  timeframe.  The  overall  objective  of  Ecophyto  is  to  reduce  pesticide  use 
(measured by the number of doses applied) by 25% by 2020 and by 50% by 2025, without 
negatively  affecting  farm  incomes.  However,  the  quantity  of  pesticides  sold  in  France  has 
increased  39%  from  2011-201895.  Against  this  backdrop,  a  further  update  of  Ecophyto 
(Ecophyto II+) was decided96. The Harmonised risk indicator 1 for pesticides show a decrease 

24 

 
 
between 2014 and 2017, followed by an increase in 2018. Category 1 (low-risk substances) 
shows a big increase while categories 2 and 3 remain stable. HRI2 shows a slight decrease of 
the  use  of  most  risky  products  by  derogation  from  the  standard  prohibition97.  There  are 
currently three main issues in  France as regards the implementation  of the Directive on the 
sustainable  use  of  pesticides.  All  pesticide  application  equipment  in  use,  including  specific 
items  other  than  sprayers,  needs  to  be  inspected  without  delay.  Effective  controls  on  the 
implementation  of  the  general  principles  of  integrated  pest  management  need  also  to  be  in 
place  for  all  types  of  professional  users  of  plant  protection  products.  Finally,  additional 
measures  to  promote  low  pesticide-input  pest  management  are  needed98.  The  challenge  for 
France will be to make significant efforts to comply with the Farm to Fork targets. 

the  population  have  fruit  and  vegetable  consumption 

Several  determinants  are  relevant  and  can  also  interact  with  each  other  regarding  human 
health.  For  example,  diet,  including  alcohol  consumption,  tobacco,  sedentarity,  physical 
inactivity  and  corpulence  can  play  a  key  role.  While  France  had  one  of  the  lowest  obesity 
rates  in  Europe  around  the  year  2000,  a  significant  part  of  the  French  population  is  now 
overweight (half of adults) or obese (one in six adults), which is associated with an increased 
risk  of  morbidity  and  mortality.  Fruit  and  vegetable  consumption  remain  insufficient:  only 
40%  of 
the 
recommendations99. Many of the health determinants such as nutrition, physical activity and 
tobacco  consumption  are  also  staggered  according  to  social  gradients.  In  adulthood,  the 
proportion  of  people  in  the  least  favoured  quintile  that  meets  the  target  of  the  National 
Nutrition Health Consumer Health Programme of at least five fruit and vegetables per day is 
11%  compared  to  18%  in  the  most  favoured  quintile.  France  has  a  high  estimated 
consumption  of  red  meat100.  Efforts  should  focus  on  shifting  towards  healthy  sustainable 
diets,  in  line  with  national  recommendations101,  in  order  to  contribute  to  reducing  rates  of 
overweight,  obesity  and  the  incidence  of  non-communicable  diseases  while  seeking  to 
simultaneously  improve  the  overall  environmental  impact  of  the  food  system.  This  would 
include moving to a more plant based diet with less red meat and more fruits and vegetables, 
whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. 

line  with 

in 

French Waste Prevention Programme  (2014-2020)102 could  give more attention to food loss 
and waste occurring at the primary production level and the early stages of the supply chain. 
It  is  expected  that  it  will  be  addressed  in  the  upcoming  national  food  waste  prevention 
programme, as required by Article 29(2a) of the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC. 

Sales of veterinary antimicrobial agents marketed 
mainly for food-producing animals in France 

Harmonised Risk Indicator 1 for pesticides in France 
(2011-2013 = 100) 

Sales in mg/PCU 

EU-27 

HRI 1 

HRI 1 for EU-27 

 Source: DG AGRI after ESVAC, Tenth ESVAC Report (2020)103 

    Source: EUROSTAT [aei_hri]104 

25 

 
 
 
 
2.10  Cross-cutting objective on knowledge, innovation and digitalisation 

The  functioning  of  the  Agricultural  Knowledge  and  Innovation  Systems  (AKIS)  105  106  in 
France  in  2014  has  been  characterised  as  strong  and  relatively  well  integrated.  However, 
under the programming period 2014-2020107, France currently only programmes 2.5% of its 
total  rural  development  envelope  (EAFRD)  under  knowledge  transfer  and  information 
actions, advisory services, farm management and farm relief services and Cooperation. This 
is  under  the  EU-28  average  of  3.3%.  The  France  EAFRD  budget  allocated  to  these  three 
measures has decreased since the first adoption of the RDP (3.3%). 

Concerning  the  flows  from  research  to  practice  and  back,  according  to  the  European 
Innovation  Scoreboard  2019,  France  Innovation  Performance  can  characterise  as  a  Strong 
Innovator. More than 14 200 organisations are involved in H2020 projects in France (11.03% 
of EU total) and receive almost EUR 6.3 billion in project funding (12.28% of EU total). At 
the same time the involvement of agricultural businesses remain low. 

In 2018, 2 074 farmers participated in training under the Rural Development Programmes108. 
Nevertheless, there is a clear demand for more organised on-farm demonstrations in France, 
where agriculture is regionally based. 

According  to  the  French  National  Rural  Network,  on  1  July  2020,  240  Operational  Groups 
under the European Innovation Partnership (EIP-AGRI) were selected out of which 115 OG 
projects  are  advanced  or  finished.  These  OG  involve  more  than  552  partners,  including 
Research  Institutes  (112),  Advisors  (152),  SMEs  (34),  Farm  holders  (26),  NGOs  (18),  and 
other  partners  (210).  The  themes  covered  by  the  OG  are  essentially  farming/forestry 
competitiveness,  supply  chain,  marketing  and  consumption,  Plant  production  and 
horticulture,  food  quality  /  processing  and  nutrition,  pest/disease  control  and  animal 
husbandry and welfare109. Innovation support services for EIP OGs are generally missing. 

The  French  rural  network  has  the  objective  of  fostering  innovation  in  agriculture,  food 
production,  forestry  and  rural  areas110.  Its  communication  tools  are  numerous  including 
newsletters,  publicity  kit,  audio-visual  library,  and  social  networks.  However,  innovation 
networking  could  be  further  developed  to  promote  more  knowledge  flows  between  regions 
and  with  other  member  states  as  well  as  the  overall  dissemination  of  innovative  results  to 
farmers at large. 

In  2016,  36.5%  of  farm  managers  in  France  had  practical  experience  only,  while  34.9%  of 
farm  managers  completed  full  agricultural  training111.  Farm  managers  with  full  training  in 
France are well above the EU average of 8.9% of total managers. The highest percentage of 
fully trained farm managers in France is within young farmers (less than 35 years old) with 
71.7% of them being fully trained. The share of managers with basic agricultural training is 
also higher to the level in the EU. 

In addition, although the number of farm managers who attained basic agricultural training is 
decreasing  since  2013,  this  number  is  still  higher  in  France  than  in  the  EU.  Moreover,  the 
percentage of farm managers who attained full agricultural training continue to increase since 
2010. 

Regarding connectivity as a whole, France is close to the EU average.  However, broadband 
coverage  of  rural  areas  remains  a  challenge  as  although  almost  all  French  rural  households 
are  covered  by  a  fixed  network,  more  than  half  of  them  are  not  covered  by  any  NGA 
technology.  The  broadband  coverage  is  low  compared  to  other  member  states  and  uneven 
across the territory.  In 2019, 62% of households have a fast  broadband  access  compared to 

26 

 
 
86%  for  the  EU.  However,  broadband  access  is  improving  (+10%  more  between  2017  and 
2019). 112 

There  are  13  fully  operational  Digital  Innovation  Hubs  in  France  related  to  agriculture, 
hunting and forestry, in a total of 142 hubs amongst EU members.113 53.8% of people in rural 
areas have basic digital skills which is slightly above the EU average (49.3%). These figures 
remain stable since 2015.  

France  has  not  yet  opted  for  the  use  of  satellite-based  means  to  monitor  CAP 
implementation114  but  French  governmental  organisations  are  currently  participating  in  EU 
projects  dealing  with  the  uptake  of  new  technologies  for  the  modernisation  of  CAP 
administrations, CAP controls and interactions with farmers. In this respect, a shift of France 
towards the use of satellite-based means to monitor CAP implementation could significantly 
contribute  to  the  digital  transition  of  the  French  farming  sector  and  to  a  broader  use  of 
satellite  observation,  precision  farming,  geolocation  services,  autonomous  farm  machinery, 
drones. 

Agricultural training of farm managers in France 

Managers with full 
agricultural training 

Managers with basic 
agricultural training 

Full training EU average 

Basic training EU average 

Source: EUROSTAT [aact_eaa04] and [aact_ali01]. 

Broadband coverage in France 

NGA broadband (% of rural households) 

Broadband access (% of rural households) 

NGA broadband (% of total households) 

Source: European Commission, Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) 2020. 

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1   European  Commission.  Report  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  on  the 
progress made on the implementation of Directive (EU) 2016/2284 on the reduction of national emissions of 
certain atmospheric pollutants, COM(2020) 266 final, 2020. 
2   “France relance“ https://www.gouvernement.fr/france-relance  
3   European  Commission.  CAP  impact  indicator  I.01  Agricultural  entrepreneurial  income.  Based  on 

EUROSTAT [aact_eaa04], [aact_ali01] and [aact_eaa06]. 

4   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.24  Agricultural  training  of  farm  managers.  Based  on 
EUROSTAT [ef_mp_training] and CAP context indicator C.26 Agricultural entrepreneurial income. Based 
on EUROSTAT [aact_eaa04] and [aact_ali01]. 

5   European  Commission.  CAP  indicators  –  Data  explorer.  CAP  Result  indicator  RPI_01  Share  of  direct 

support in agricultural income. 

6   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.25  Agricultural  factor  income.  Based  on  EUROSTAT 

[aact_eaa04], [aact_ali01] and [aact_eaa06]. 

7   Clearance of Accounts Trailing System data for claim year 2018 
8   Directorate  General  for  Agriculture  and  Rural  Development  own  calculations  based  on  FADN  (Farm 
Accountancy  Data  Network)  data  (2015)  and  CATS  (Clearance  of  Accounts  Trailing  System)  data  (up  to 
2017)  and  Directorate  General  for  Agriculture  and  Rural  Development  own  calculations  based  on  FADN 
(Farm  Accountancy Data Network) data  (up to 2018) and CATS (Clearance of Accounts Trailing System)  
data (up to 2018) 

9   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, OS1, May 2020. 

10   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, OS1, May 2020 

11   Directorate  General  for  Agriculture  and  Rural  Development.  CAP  context  indicators  C.25  Agricultural 
factor  income  and  CAP  context  indicator  C.26  Agricultural  entrepreneurial  income.  Income  based  on 
EUROSTAT [aact_eaa04], [aact_ali01] and [aact_eaa06], adding back the compensation of employees to the 
entrepreneurial income and divided by the total number of annual working units. Note: 2019 data estimated. 
The Average wage in the economy based on EUROSTAT [nama_10_a10_e] thousand hours worked using 
employees domestic concept and [nama_10_a10], item wages and salaries. 

12   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

13   European Commission. CAP context indicator C.18 Agricultural area. Based on EUROSTAT [apro_cpsh1]. 
14   European Commission.  CAP context indicator C.21 Livestock units.  Based on EUROSTAT [ef_lsk_main], 

[ef_lsk_poultry], [ef_lsk_bovine] and [ef_lus_main]. 

15   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

16   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.27  Total  factor  productivity.  Based  on  EUROSTAT 

[aact_eaa05], [aact_eaa04], [aact_ali01], [apro_cpsh1] and [ef_mptenure] and FADN. 

17   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.14  Labour  productivity  in  agriculture.  Based  on 

EUROSTAT [aact_eaa01] and [aact_ali01] 

18   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020.  

19   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

20   European  Commission,  Study  on  financial  needs  in  the  agriculture  and  agri-food  sectors,  June  2020, 
https://www.fi-compass.eu/publication/publications/financial-needs-agriculture-and-agri-food-sectors-france, 
June 2020. 

21   fi-compass report FR 2020. 
22   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.27  Total  factor  productivity.  Based  on  EUROSTAT 

[aact_eaa05], [aact_eaa04], [aact_ali01], [apro_cpsh1] and [ef_mptenure] and FADN 

23   EUROSTAT [aact_eaa01] Economic accounts for agriculture  
24   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

25   Loi n° 2018-938 du 30 octobre 2018 pour l'équilibre des relations commerciales dans le secteur agricole et 

alimentaire et une alimentation saine, durable et accessible à tous. 

26   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, OS8 May 2020. 

27   https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/food-farming-fisheries/key_policies/documents/recognised-

ibos_en.pdf  

28 

 
 
 
                                                           
28   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, OS8, May 2020. 

29   European Commission, Study on economic value of EU quality schemes, geographical indications (GIs) and 
traditional  specialities  guaranteed  (TSGs),  Final  report,  May  2020.  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-
detail/-/publication/a7281794-7ebe-11ea-aea8-01aa75ed71a1  

30   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.19  Agricultural  area  under  organic  farming.  Based  on 

EUROSTAT [org_cropar_h1] and [org_cropar]. 

31   EUROSTAT. [org_cropar]  
32   Agreste. [esea16_4] 
33   European  Commission.  CAP  indicators  –  Data  explorer.  CAP  Result  indicator  RPI_03  Value  for  primary 

producers in the food chain. 

34   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.45  Emissions  from  agriculture.  Based  on  EUROSTAT 

[env_air_emis], original source European Environmental Agency (UNFCC_v22). 

35   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

36   European Commission. CAP context indicator C.18 Agricultural area. Based on EUROSTAT [apro_cpsh1], 
CAP  context  indicator  C.21  Livestock  units.  Based  on  EUROSTAT  [ef_lsk_main],  [ef_lsk_poultry], 
[ef_lsk_bovine]  and  [ef_lus_main]  and  CAP  context  indicator  C.45  Emissions  from  agriculture.  Based  on 
EUROSTAT [env_air_emis], original source European Environmental Agency (UNFCC_v22). 

37   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

38   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.43  Production  of  renewable  energy  from  agriculture  and 

forestry. Based on EUROSTAT [nrg_bal_c] and [nrg_cb_rw], and Strategie Grains. 

39   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.44  Energy  use  in  agriculture,  forestry  and  food  industry. 

Based on EUROSTAT [nrg_bal_s]. 

40   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.45  Emissions  from  agriculture.  Based  on  EUROSTAT 

[env_air_emis], original source European Environmental Agency (UNFCC_v22). 

41   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

42   European  Commission.  Commission  Staff  Working  Document  –  Second  River  Basin  Management  Plans. 

SWD(2019) 41 final. 

43   European Commission. CAP context indicator C.40 Water quality. Based on EUROSTAT [aei_pr_gnb] and 
European  Environmental  Agency  as  in  Waterbase  –  Water  Quality,  CSI020,  based  on  data  reported  to 
EIONET. 

44   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

45   European Commission. CAP context indicator C.40 Water quality. Based on EUROSTAT [aei_pr_gnb] and 
European  Environmental  Agency  as  in  Waterbase  –  Water  Quality,  CSI020,  based  on  data  reported  to 
EIONET. 

46   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

47   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

48   European  Commission.  Commission  Staff  Working  Document  –  Second  River  Basin  Management  Plans. 

SWD(2019) 41 final. 

49   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

50   European Commission.  CAP context indicator C.42 Soil erosion by water.  Original source: Joint Research 

Center. 

51   European Commission. CAP context indicator C.40 Water quality. Based on EUROSTAT [aei_pr_gnb] 
52   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.35  Farmland  birds  index  (FBI).  As  in  EUROSTAT 

[env_bio2], original source: EBCC, BirdLife, RSPB and CSO. 

53   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.34  Natura  2000  areas.  Based  on  NATURA  2000 

Barometer and European Environmental Agency, Corine Land Cover 2018 

54   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.36  Conservation  status  of  agricultural  habitats.  Original 

source: European Environmental Agency 

55   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

56   EUROSTAT [org_cropar] 
57   European Commission.  CAP indicators – Data explorer. CAP Result indicator RPI_10 Importance organic 

farming 

29 

 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                     
58   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, OS5, May 2020. 

59   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

60   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

61   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.19  Agricultural  area  under  organic  farming.  Based  on 

EUROSTAT [org_cropar_h1] and [org_cropar] 

62   Directorate  General for Agriculture  and Rural Development.  Based on EUROSTAT for land laying  fallow 

and Joint Research Center based on LUCAS survey for estimation of landscape elements. 

63   European Commission. CAP context indicator C.23 Age structure of farm managers. Based on EUROSTAT 

[ef_m_farmang]. 

64   Agreste,  Recensements  agricoles  2000  et  2010,  Enquête  sur  la  structure  des  exploitations  agricoles  2016, 

June 2018.  

65   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.24  Agricultural  training  of  farm  managers.  Based  on 

EUROSTAT [ef_mp_training]. 

66   European  Court  of  Auditors,  EU  support  to  young  farmers  should  be  better  targeted  to  foster  effective 

generational renewal, Special report n°10, 2017. 

67   European Commission, Study on financial needs in the agriculture and agri-food sectors, fi-compass, June 

2020.  

68   European  Commission.  CAP  context 
[demo_r_d3dens] and [urt_d3dens]. 

indicator  C.04  Population  density.  Based  on  EUROSTAT 

69   European Commission. CAP context indicator C.01 Population. Based on EUROSTAT [demo_r_gind3]. 
70   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

71   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.03  Territory.  Based  on  EUROSTAT  [reg_area3]  and 

[urt_d3area]. 

72   European Commission. CAP context indicator C.05 Employment rate. Based on EUROSTAT [lfst_r_ergau]. 
73   European Commission. CAP context indicator C.05 Employment rate. Based on EUROSTAT [lfst_r_ergau]. 
74   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.07  Unemployment  rate.  Based  on  EUROSTAT 

[lfst_r_lfu3rt]. 

75   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.11  Structure  of  the  employment.  Based  on  EUROSTAT 

[nama_10r_3empers]. 

76   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

77   EUROSTAT. [ef_m_farmang]. 
78   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

79   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.10  Structure  of  the  economy.  Based  on  EUROSTAT 

[nama_10r_3gva]. 

80   European  Commission.  CAP  context 

indicator  C.08  GDP  per  capita.  Based  on  EUROSTAT 

[nama_10r_3gdp] and [nama_10r_3popgdp]. 

81   European Commission. CAP context indicator C.09 Poverty rate. Based on EUROSTAT [ilc_peps11]. 
82   FAO. 
Resources 

Forest 
platform.herokuapp.com/AUT/assessment/fra2020/extentOfForest/. 

Assessment. 

Global 

2020. 

https://fra-

83   EUROSTAT. [nama_10_a64], [for_eco_cp] and [for_area]. 
84   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.13  Employment  by  economic  activity.  Based  on 

EUROSTAT [lfst_r_lfe2en2]. 

85   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

86   European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.41,  Soil  organic  matter  in  arable  land.  Joint  Research 

Center (JRC) based on LUCAS Land Use Survey 2015. 

87   Ronzon, Tévécia; Piotrowski, Stephan; M'barek, Robert; Carus, Michael; Tamošiūnas, Saulius (2020):  Jobs 
and  wealth  in  the  EU  bioeconomy  /  JRC  -  Bioeconomics.  European  Commission,  Joint  Research  Centre 
(JRC) [Dataset] PID: http://data.europa.eu/89h/7d7d5481-2d02-4b36-8e79-697b04fa4278 

88   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

89   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, OS8, May 2020. 

90   European Commission, Annual implementation reports, 2017. 

30 

 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                     
91   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Projet  de  diagnostic  en  vue  du  futur  Plan  Stratégique 

National de la PAC post 2020, May 2020. 

93 

92   European  Medicines  Agency,  European  Surveillance  of  Veterinary  Antimicrobial  consumption  (ESVAC). 
Sales of veterinary antimicrobial agents in 31 countries in 2018  – trends from 2010 to 2018 Tenth ESVAC 
Report. EMA/24309/2020. 
 European  Medicines  Agency,  European  Surveillance  of  Veterinary  Antimicrobial  consumption  (ESVAC). 
Sales of veterinary antimicrobial agents in 31 countries in 2018  – trends from 2010 to 2018 Tenth ESVAC 
Report. EMA/24309/2020. 

94    Letter Commissioner Kyriakides to FR (Ares(2020)2643693 - 20/05/2020) 
95   EUROSTAT. [aei_fm_salpest09].  
96   European  Commission,  Directorate-General  for  Health  and  Food  Safety,  Final  Report  of  an  Audit  carried 
out in France from 29 May 2018 to 08 June 2018 in order to Evaluate the Implementation of Measures to 
Achieve 
https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-
of 
analysis/audit_reports/details.cfm?rep_id=4106 

Sustainable 

Pesticides, 

2018. 

Use 

the 

97   Ministère  de  l’Agriculture  et  de  l’Alimentation,  Réduction  des  pesticides  :  les  indicateurs  de  risque 
harmonisés établis au niveau européen, September 2020. https://agriculture.gouv.fr/reduction-des-pesticides-
les-indicateurs-de-risque-harmonises-etablis-au-niveau-europeen   

98   Letter Commissioner Kyriakides to FR (Ares(2020)2643693 - 20/05/2020) 
99   Direction de la recherche, des études, de l’évaluation et des statistiques and Santé publique France, L’état de 
santé  de  la  population  française  –  rapport  2017  https://drees.solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/synthese-
2.pdf  

100  defined as beef, lamb and pork, 191,20 g/per capita/d,   net of waste in the EU 2010,  GBD study 2017 and 

M. Springmann 

101  Ministère  des  Solidarités  et  de 

la  Santé,  Programme  National  Nutrition  et  Santé  2019-2013 

https://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/pnns4_2019-2023.pdf  

102  Agence de la Transition Ecologique (ADEME),  Programme  national  de  prévention  des  déchets  2014–
http://www.developpement-

2020 
- 
durable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/Programme_national_prevention_dechets_2014-2020.pdf  

103  European  Medicines  Agency,  European  Surveillance  of  Veterinary  Antimicrobial  consumption  (ESVAC). 
Sales of veterinary antimicrobial agents in 31 countries in 2018  – trends from 2010 to 2018 Tenth ESVAC 
Report. EMA/24309/2020. 

104  European Commission. Harmonised Risk Indicator for pesticides (HRI 1), by group of active substance.  As 

in EUROSTAT [SDG_02_51] 

105  Directorate-General  for  Agriculture  and  Rural  Development.  Preparing  for  Future  AKIS  in  Europe,  4th 
Report of the Strategic Working Group on Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS), 2019. 
106  Knierim  Andrea,  Prager  Katrin,  Agricultural  Knowledge  and  Information  Systems  in  Europe:  Weak  or 

strong, fragmented or integrated?, July 2015. 

107  Member  state  notifications  to  the  Directorate  general  for  Agriculture  and  Rural  Development  based  on 

adopted versions of the Rural Development Programmes up to July 2019. 

108  European  Commission.  CAP  Indicator  -  Data  explorer.  CAP  Output  indicator  OIR_12  Number  of 

participants in trainings.  

109  https://ec.europa.eu/eip/agriculture/en/about/operational-groups  
110  Réseau  Rural  Français,  Le  Partenariat  Européen  Pour  L'innovation  Agri  https://www.reseaurural.fr/le-
partenariat-europeen-pour-linnovation-agri and European Network for Rural Development (ENRD), Y5 RDP 
Screening  on  NRN  programming  and  action  plans  Working  Document  -  Final  version,  January  2020 
https://enrd.ec.europa.eu/sites/enrd/files/y5_rdp_screening_nrns_summary_report.pdf 

111  European  Commission.  CAP  context  indicator  C.24  Agricultural  training  of  farm  managers.  Based  on 

EUROSTAT [ef_mp_training]. 

112  European Commission, Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) 2020. 
113  European Commission, Digital Innovation Hubs. 2020 https://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/digital-innovation-

hubs-tool  

114   Directorate-General  for  Agriculture  and  Rural  Development,  Internal  information  resulting  of  notification 

from MS and/or informal exchanges with MS. 

31