France ramps up support for increased factory farming in surprising policy shift | French government

France Encourages Farmers to Produce More Affordable Meat Amid Inflation

In a surprising reversal on factory farming, France’s agriculture minister, Marc Fesneau, recently urged farmers to focus on producing lower-priced meat. This shift comes as increased inflation has impacted the demand for organic pork, beef, and chicken.

During a major agro-industry event, Fesneau emphasized the need to address the entry-level market in order to ensure animal welfare. According to him, high-quality meat can only be sustained if there is a willingness to pay for it.

These remarks indicate a significant change in the government’s stance, following Emmanuel Macron’s criticism of intensive farming in 2017. Macron had expressed the need to halt the production of poultry and pork, claiming they no longer aligned with the country’s preferences and needs.

The intensive farming industry in France has faced mounting pressure due to concerns about animal welfare and environmental damage. Specifically, the region of Brittany, a major agricultural hub, has been associated with ecological issues caused by intensive pig, poultry, and dairy farming, such as green algae proliferation and related fatalities on its beaches.

Despite Macron’s aspiration to elevate France’s beef production, the country’s dominant position in the market seems to have dwindled in the face of 11% food inflation. This inflationary pressure has led consumers to opt for more affordable meat options instead of organic products.

Pascale Hébel, a consumption analyst at data consulting firm C-Ways, revealed that only 30% of the French population currently has the financial means to prioritize quality over price, compared to 50% six years ago.

Nevertheless, major intensive farming groups in the country perceive a change in their favor. The French, known for their preference for meat, continue to consume a yearly average of 113kg (nearly 250lbs), which is almost double the global average.

Gilles Huttepain, a high-ranking executive at poultry company LDC and a representative of industry group Anvol, expressed the goal of reclaiming standard production. He emphasized the need to build 400 new intensive chicken houses annually to reduce dependence on imported poultry, as half of the chickens consumed in France now come from abroad.

Under pressure from the government, supermarkets, and animal welfare organizations, France had previously shown a diminished interest in cage-reared eggs, with only 25% of eggs produced through intensive farming methods. However, poultry farmer Yves-Marie Beaudet, head of the egg industry group CNPO, revealed that many farmers now regret the shift as sales of low-cost eggs soar.

Despite these changes, there are concerns about replicating Switzerland’s agricultural sector, which focused exclusively on premium products. Industry leaders argue that France’s agriculture should strike a balance between quality and affordability.

Apart from being the European Union’s largest supplier of beef, France also ranks second in milk production and third in pork production. With only 1% of their production classified as organic, French pig farmers, who faced pressure to adopt more sustainable practices, now consider their approach justified.

Anne Richard from the pig farming lobby group Inaporc commented, “Maybe our resistance back then wasn’t all that ridiculous. People who invested in organic now find themselves stuck.” However, dairy farmer Mathieu Courgeau argued against reverting to old practices, stating that prioritizing cheap production while disregarding social and environmental consequences contradicts the challenges we face today.