Overview of the French organic sector of oilseeds and protein crops

Abstract

To respond to the demand of organic products for feed (oilmeals, protein crops) and food (oil, dry pulses), organic oilseed and protein crops surfaces are increasing rapidly in France. Terres Univia, the interbranch organisation which represents French oilseed and oil fruit sector and French high protein crops sector interests, carried out a comprehensive 2-year survey in 2016 and 2017 on the different actors of the organic production chain from the collectors to feed and food users. The study showed that organic sector was, at this time, well organized but that it had to face some challenges to meet up with the scale up of organic sectors. Collectors must ensure outlets and prices for producers, accompanying the choice and technical management of production crops. They need to reach a better matched between offer and demand to reduce their logistic cost by, for example, contracting with the producers and the users. Crushers must ensure their cost-effectiveness by enhancing the valuation of co-products (meals for rapeseed and sunflower, oil for soya) and improve their economies of scale. They also strongly rely on grain imports because of a lack of French supplies (rapeseed and soybean particularly). As for feed manufacturers, the new organic regulation for January 2022 brings even more constraints to reach the nutritional need for monogastric.