The French Ministry of Agriculture has announced that it would cut €15 million [17 million USD] in funding for Agence Bio, the French agency responsible for developing and promoting organic farming. The budget was originally earmarked for communication (€5 million [5.7 million USD]) and support for development projects (€10 million from the Avenir Bio fund [11.3 million USD]). This cut comes on the eve of the label's 40th anniversary and the official launch of the (new) communication campaign "C'est Bio la France" (France is organic).
"In a complicated budgetary context with the drying up of the recovery plan and ecological planning, the ministry is prioritizing funding for the structuring of the sector in consultation with professionals," the ministry told AFP.
Loïc Madeline, co-president of FNAB, responded in a statement. "Organic consumption has not picked up in supermarkets, which account for half of the volumes. The organic retail space continues to decline, and the prices paid to producers are only just starting to rise. This is really not the time to take a step back. The ministry has just found €30 million [34 million USD] to save the hazelnut sector, which represents 350 farms in France, but its pockets are empty when it comes to the 60,000 organic farms that produce healthy food and protect resources."