The government announces a drastic reduction in the budget of the Organic Agency

The organic sector is being written off to the tune of budget crises. The Ministry of Agriculture announced this Tuesday, May 20, to the Organic Agency, responsible for the development and structuring of the sector, that it would undergo a drastic budget cut . Specifically, the government plans to eliminate the €5 million allocated to its communications and nearly €10 million allocated to project support for 2025. A decision denounced by the agency, for which the sector has been "abandoned."

"In a complicated budgetary context with the drying up of the recovery plan and ecological planning, the ministry is prioritizing credits on the structuring of the sector in consultation with professionals," the ministry justified.

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He thus confirmed the elimination of the 5 million euros from the communications budget and the reduction of the allocation to the Avenir Bio fund, which will go from 18 million in 2024, the year in which the envelope had increased significantly, to 8.6 million for 2025.

These measures are cause for concern among the Agency's members. "It is an essential sector of agriculture [...] which is being abandoned, in a historically inconsistent manner," the Agency lamented on Tuesday evening, denouncing "a historic decline in its resources (-64 %)."

"The ambitions for the development of organic farming cannot be met," added the Organic Agency, highlighting the contradiction "with the objectives set by the government" of reaching 18% of the useful agricultural area in organic by 2027, compared to around 10% today.

A budget of five million euros per year from 2024 to 2026 had been allocated to a massive communications campaign, dubbed "France is organic." It is to be launched with great fanfare on Thursday, to mark the 40th anniversary of the organic label, to revitalize consumption of these products, which has been undermined by several years of high inflation.

The 2024 budget has been spent and will notably finance the two waves of television advertising campaigns planned for May and September.

Beyond this deadline, the agency does not know how it will continue to promote these foods from agriculture without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, even as it observes the beginnings of a recovery in consumption.

The budget cuts come after a controversy over a TV commercial. Libération reported in mid-April that the ministry had wanted to replace couscous with cassoulet in the commercial and to choose a "Caucasian cast" when a mixed-race actor was suggested. The ministry did not deny this, explaining that the campaign aimed to represent "all French people."

More generally, the Organic Agency is in the dark about its future. Its leaders are scheduled to appear before the Senate on Thursday before the commission of inquiry into the missions of state agencies, operators, and advisory bodies.

The possibility of a merger with another entity, or even the elimination of the Organic Agency, has been mentioned several times as a possible way to save money.

The national platform's operating budget—€2.9 million—was once threatened by an amendment to the 2025 Finance Bill by the Senate's right-wing party, which Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard (LR) did not oppose. It was ultimately maintained after a general outcry from agricultural unions and the agri-food industry.

The organization also feared that the budget for the Avenir Bio fund, intended to support development projects, would be "cut." In 2024, this fund had been increased by €5 million in credits from ecological planning. In 2025, it will be almost halved, to €8.6 million, according to the notification sent to the Organic Agency on Tuesday.

"In 2025, long-term support for maintenance and conversion will continue. The ministry has also worked to ensure that the Avenir Bio fund is maintained," the ministry assured on Tuesday, adding that organic farming is "an essential pillar" of its policy.

"We're going to end up believing that Minister Annie Genevard wants to destroy organic farming at all costs . By blocking the revival of consumption, it is above all organic farmers that she is penalizing," reacted Loïc Madeline, co-president of the National Federation of Organic Agriculture (FNAB).

"The ministry has just found 30 million euros to save the hazelnut industry, 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," he continues, recalling that the government has postponed to a later date the distribution of the remainder of European aid dedicated to organic products and not spent, given the decline in conversions over the last two years.