Transformations in agriculture, food production and consumption 2024 Edition
In this new edition of the Insee Références collection, INSEE and the Department of Statistics and Foresight Analysis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty present an overview of the main changes in French agriculture over the last 50 years: concentration and specialisation of farms since 1970, comparison of the economic performance of organic farming with that of conventional farming, changes in food consumption over the last decade and, finally, the environmental issues to which agriculture is contributing and which it must address.
Organic farms: smaller structures that perform better economically for a given farm size
Nicolas Devauvre (Department of Statistics and Foresight Analysis)
On average, organic farms are smaller than conventional farms. They often sell their products in short supply chains (one in two), particulary in direct sales (one in ten).
Although smaller in size, organic farms receive an average level of aid per farm that is almost equivalent to that received by conventional farmers, thanks to subsidies specific to the organic sector. Despite having a higher average level of debt (due to younger managers), organic farms are generally as profitable as conventional farms.
Four agricultural sectors account for 42% of organic farms: outdoor market gardening, vineyards, dairy cattle and laying hens. Among these farms, economic results per unit of production (hectare, cow, hen) are often higher in organic farming, but results per non‑salaried farmer are not always higher, as organic farms have often a smaller size.