Agri-food industries
A country famous for its terroir and traditions, France is the world’s fifth largest exporter of agri-food products and was Europe’s leading agri-food producer in 2019. Wine has been produced in France since the Gallo-Roman era and has contributed greatly to the country’s global reputation for excellence. France is the world’s leading exporter of wine, with €9.8 billion in foreign sales in 2019. The country’s organic market is also booming, representing 2.3 Mha, or 13% of the EU’s total organic utilized agricultural area (UAA) in 2019, ranking France second in Europe.
Europe’s #1
Producer of agricultural foods
(Eurostat, 2019)
Global leader
for wine exports
(GTA, 2019)
Europe’s #1 beef
(and meat) producer
(Eurostat, 2019)
#FranceRelance's measures in agri-food industry
France, a major player in agricultural production, is moving towards a secure, modern and sustainable agri-food industry. The agri-food industry is one of several strategic industries in the “Relaunch France” plan. Check out the measures implemented below:
Discover the Agro Kits 2021!
French Agri-food industry and processing Kit 2021
The second leading industrial sector in France, with 17% of the value of the industry’s production carried out in the agri-food industry in 2018.
42,500 businesses in the agri-food industries, employing more than 480,000 people in 2020. Their exports amounted to €46.6 billion in 2020.
The French machinery and field crop protection solutions kit 2021
France is Europe’s #1 sugar producer in 2020 and Europe’s #1 producer of cereals and potatoes in 2019.
It is Europe’s #2 producer of organic food after Spain, with 10.4% of all farming land committed to organic agriculture in 2019.
French livestock kit 2021
Europe’s #1 cattle herd in 2019, France is a globally recognized ruminant genetic system (large selection base, high quality, all breeds).
With 20% of poultry raised outdoors, France is the leader in Europe for free-range chicken farms (Label Rouge and Bio).
French Dairy products kit 2021
In 2020, France had nearly 3.7 million dairy cows and 62,000 dairy farms which collected 24 billion liters of cow’s milk.
France is Europe’s #2 producer of organic milk with 1.75 billion liters produced, one billion of which are organic cow’s milk.
In 2020, French dairy companies collected 503 million liters of goat’s milk. France is Europe’s #1 producer and collector.
French Winemaking Kit 2021
France is the world’s #1 exporter of cooperage products and Europe’s #1 manufacturer of grape harvesting. Precision viticulture and robotics have made France a pioneer country at the forefront of new technologies.
French Wine Kit 2021
France is the world’s leading wine producer in revenue terms and #2 in unit sales. Some five billion liters of wine were produced in France in 2020. Nearly 500,000 direct and indirect jobs are generated by viticulture in France.
In 2019, the Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité (INAO) listed 363 wines and spirits carrying protected designation of origin and 74 carrying certified protected geographical indication.
French Fruit and Vegetables Kit 2021
France is the world’s leading exporter of fresh potatoes (excluding seed potatoes), with 2.1 million tons exported in 2020 worth €512 million.
In 2019, 1,519 thousand tons of table apples produced in mainland France, along with 203 thousand tons of peaches and nectarines and 180 thousand tons of plums. In 2019, the apple tree was the dominant fruit species (22% of the total surface area), ahead of the walnut tree (15%) and the plum tree (9%).
The French gourmet products Kit 2021
French gourmet products are recognized worldwide for their quality, traceability and high level of innovation.
France was the world’s #1 exporter of jam, marmalade, jelly, purée and fruit jellies in 2020. 21,636 tons of honey, 732,000 tons of chocolate and 154,000 tons of confectionery were produced in 2020.
Europe’s #3 manufacturer of chocolate products, France exports 62% of its chocolate production.
In 2019, France was the world’s fifth largest agri-food exporter (UN-Comtrade). Agri-food was the third largest contributor to France’s trade balance, with a surplus of €7.8 billion. The top four exports were drinks (€17.1 billion), dairy products (€6.7 billion), meat and meat-based products (€4.6 billion), and grain-processing products (€2.5 billion).
Let’s invite France to your table every day !
Founded and supported by the French authorities and launched internationally in February 2020, Taste France is the new collective brand bringing together all the key players in the gastronomic, agri-food and agricultural sectors which aims to support French business activity. Taste France is a true flagship of the industry, seeking to promote France’s attractiveness by shining the spotlight on businesses and their expertise.
The aim of this brand is to demonstrate that French products are of high quality and can be used in all cuisines around the world, whether it is convivial family moments, or in restaurants run by top chefs. Taste France embodies the notions of conviviality and sharing, both of which are a key part of the French dining experience.
James Quincey, CEO of Coca Cola
Coca Cola has been produced in France since 1921 and has six production facilities spread across the country. Coca Cola plans to invest €1 billion over the next five years.
Useful resources
Consult our publications
