The market gardeners' market - France (2024)

1.2 A global market dominated by China

In ****, the global fresh vegetable market was estimated at $***.** billion, and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of *. *% between **** and ****[***]. Based on these estimates, we can produce the graph below:

Global fresh vegetable market sales World, ****-****, in billions of dollars Source: ****

Projections therefore suggest that the global vegetable market is on the right track, with sales expected to reach nearly *** billion dollars by ****.

Global vegetable production trends World, ****-****, in millions of metric tons Source : FAO The evolution of world vegetable production over the period ****-**** shows a general upward trend, reflecting steady growth in this industry over the years. from ***.** million tonnes in ****, production has risen steadily to reach ****.** million tonnes in ****. This gradual increase reflects the growing importance attached to vegetable production in the context of global food security and increased demand for fresh, nutritious food. Although annual variations can be observed, due to factors such as climatic conditions, changes in agricultural practices and economic fluctuations, the overall upward trend underlines the vital role played by vegetables in meeting the world's food needs.

Production volume by continent World, ****, in millions of tons Source : FAO Asia leads the way with a vegetable production volume of ...

1.3 A French market where production and consumption have fallen slightly in recent years

French household consumption of fresh vegetables France, ****-**** Source: ****

Over the period ****-****, there is a general upward trend, with annual variations but steady growth over the long term. Sales by value have risen significantly, from **** million euros in **** to ***** million euros in ****, representing an increase of **.*%. However, there will be a slight decline in ****.

French fresh vegetable consumption trends (***) France, ****-****, in % Source: ****

The data show significant variations from one year to the next, both in terms of volume and value. In terms of volume, there are significant fluctuations from one year to the next. In ****, a notable increase of *.*% was recorded, followed by a significant drop in **** (***). Subsequent years show a more mixed trend, with both positive and negative variations, probably reflecting changes in consumption habits, market availability and seasonal factors. As for value, variations are also significant. In ****, a marked increase of *.*% was observed, followed by positive and negative fluctuations in subsequent years. The strongest growth in value is recorded in ****, with a notable increase of **.*%, perhaps linked to economic and societal factors such as growing awareness of healthy eating and the search for quality products.

Both **** and **** are negative in terms of both volume and value.

Evolution ...

1.4 Balance of trade

Vegetable market trade balance France, ****-****, in millions of dollars Source: ****

Imports of vegetables have gradually increased over the years, rising from *.* billion euros in **** to *.** billion euros in ****. Similarly, exports have also increased over the same period, reaching *.** billion euros in ****, compared to *.** billion euros in ****. The coverage rate, which measures the ability of exports to cover imports, fluctuated over this period, but recorded a general upward trend, rising from **.**% in **** to **.**% in **** .

Even so, we note that France's trade balance on the vegetable market is in deficit, with imports greater than exports and a coverage rate consistently below *** over the years.

France's main customers :

France's main customer countries World, ****, in millions of dollars Source: ****

Belgium and Germany stand out as the main destinations for French vegetable exports, accounting for $***.** million and $***.** million of exports respectively.

This breakdown highlights the importance of trade partnerships with neighboring European countries, which, along with the United Kingdom, account for the majority of French vegetable exports.

France's main suppliers :

France's main suppliers World, ****, in millions of dollars Source: ****

Spain clearly stands out as the main supplier, accounting for a significant share of French vegetable imports, with a total of$****.** million. Morocco comes second, with ...

2.1 French consumer habits

Monthly budget for fruit and vegetables France, ****, in € Source: ****

The breakdown of the monthly budget devoted to fruit and vegetables in France reveals a significant prevalence of respondents allocating between ** and *** euros or more to these products, together representing **% of respondents. This distribution suggests a priority given to consumption of fruit and vegetables in a fairly high price bracket. Interestingly, a relatively small percentage of respondents(***) said they spend nothing in this category, while *% did not specicified their preference, indicating variability in consumption habits or uncertainty as to the amount allocated to these products.

Furthermore, the Opinionway study informs us that the French spend an average of €** each month on fruit and vegetables, confirming the importance of these products in the household food budget.

Top ** most popular vegetables France, ****, in % of volume purchased Source: ****

The top ** most-consumed vegetables in France reveal a strong preference for tomatoes, which dominate with a volume purchased of **.* units, closely followed by carrots (***). Breakdown of vegetable purchases by point of sale France, ****, % (***) Source : Franceagrimer The breakdown of vegetable purchases by point of sale in France highlights the predominance of hypermarkets, supermarkets and hard-discount stores, which together account for almost two-thirds(***) of purchases, highlighting the continuing appeal ...

2.2 Falling purchasing power of French households

Inflation rate trend France, ****-****, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, % Source : INSEE Inflation will rise sharply in ****, to *.*%. **** is also a highly inflationary year, despite a slight decrease compared to ****. Foodstuffs and certain vegetables have seen their prices rise sharply (***). With this sharp rise and declining purchasing power, the French are making trade-offs in their spending, and we can see that consumption of food goods fell by **% between December **** and June ****. [***]

Financial capacity to buy as much fruit and vegetables as desired France, ****, % Source: Ifop/Interfel The graph reveals that **% of respondents claim to have the financial capacity to buy as much fruit and vegetables as they wish, while a significant proportion of the population (***) claim not to have this capacity. It is interesting to note that despite a desire to consume more fruit and vegetables, a significant proportion of the French population is limited by financial constraints.

Impact of inflation on bulk fruit and vegetable consumption France, ****, %, % Source: ****

The graph highlights the impact of inflation on bulk fruit and vegetable consumption habits. The majority of respondents (***) claim to have reduced their consumption in response to the price increase.

2.3 Trends in vegetarian and vegan diets

In France, although the number of vegetarians remains lower than in other European nations, eating habits are evolving rapidly. There is a growing demand for meat substitutes and vegetarian products. Indeed, an estimated *.*% of the French population, or around *.* million people, have chosen not to eat meat. This trend is supported by the fact that **% of French people say they are personally moving towards a more plant-based diet. [***]

Frequency of vegetarian meal consumption France, ****, % Source: ****

The main information we note here is that **% of French people eat vegetarian meals at different frequencies. Indeed, among those who include vegetarian meals in their diet, the distribution of frequency is varied. While *% say they eat several times a day, **% do so several times a week, and **% several times a month. On the other hand, a similar percentage (***) claim to consume it less often.

Distribution of the population with different diets France, ****, % (***) Source: ****

The majority of the French population(***) classify themselves as omnivores, while **% follow a flexitarian diet, signalling a growing trend towards reduced meat consumption. *.*% follow strictly meat-free diets. These data suggest a shift in eating habits towards a more flexible, less meat-centric diet, opening up opportunities for food companies to meet this growing ...

2.4 Slackening demand for organic vegetables

the production of organic products is significant in France. In fact, almost * million hectares will be organic by ****, and **.*% of French farmland will be organic. Finally, **% of French farms are involved in organic farming.

Evolution of organic land used for organic vegetable production France, ****-****, in hectares Source : Agencebio The figures show a positive trend in the area used for organic vegetable production over the period studied. From **** to ****, significant growth is observed, with a steady increase in the number of hectares dedicated to organic vegetable production. This is followed by stagnation between **** and ****. This positive trend in organic production area suggests that production in tonnes of vegetables should also increase.

Sales trends for organic fresh fruit and vegetables France, ****-****, in millions of euros Source: ****

Until ****, sales of organic fruit and vegetables are expected to grow steadily, rising from *** million euros in **** to a peak of **** million euros in ****. This growth underscored growing consumer interest in these products, in line with trends towards healthier, more sustainable eating. However, from **** onwards, there is a decline in sales by value of almost *% that year, followed by a further drop to **** million euros in ****. This drop contrasts with the upward trajectory observed previously, ...

3.1 Value chain

A strategy frequently adopted by market gardeners is to join forces with agricultural cooperatives of the Société d'Intérêt Collectif Agricole (***) type. These structures enable collaboration between farmers and other players in the sector, such as their customers, wholesalers or retailers. This association strengthens the link with the territory where the cooperative is located, thus promoting its local anchoring. SICAs play a key role in negotiating prices with wholesale markets, such as Rungis, and establishing partnerships with central purchasing agencies . This approach fosters the integration of producers into the local economic fabric, strengthening their local roots.

To access international markets, producers can turn to specialized shipping companies. These companies, staffed by experienced exporters, consolidate, pack and ship produce to destinations around the world.

At the same time, market gardeners can opt for short distribution channels, selling their produce directly to the end consumer. This approach, often carried out through local markets or direct farm sales, offers direct contact with customers and enhances the value of quality produce. To sell direct, market gardeners can go through AMAPs (***), which is then delivered to them periodically.

These different marketing strategies enable market gardeners to optimize their market presence while meeting the diverse ...

3.2 Number of companies and employees

Number of farms by specialization France, ****-****, in values Source: ****

In ****, there were *,**** market garden farms, representing an increase of over *,*** structures compared to previous years. It should be noted that horticulture and market gardening are the smallest farm types in terms of numbers, but they are the only agricultural specializations to see an increase among the various agricultural sectors . On the other hand, farms specializing in fruit production, also numbering **,***, fell by *,*** units.

Average farm size by specialization France, ****, in hectares Source: ****

On average, beef farms are the largest, followed by those specializing in field crops. On the other hand, viticulture, fruit production, market gardening and horticulture generally cover smaller areas.

What's more, the average size of farms in France has increased by ** hectares since ****, to ** hectares. This trend is also observed in the horticultural and market-gardening sector, where the average size has risen from * hectares in **** to ** hectares in ****[***]

By ****, ***,*** people will be working in the market garden sector:

Distribution of employment contract types in the market gardeners' market France, ****, % Source: ****

The breakdown of employment contract types in the market gardeners' market shows a predominance of fixed-term contracts over open-ended contracts. Indeed, out of a total of ***,*** positions, **,*** are ...

3.3 A sector heavily impacted by climatic hazards

Market gardeners are regularly confronted with the vagaries of the weather, which can have a significant impact on their harvests. Extreme weather events such as storm Ciaran in November **** andthe recent flooding in the Hauts-de-France region in January **** have highlighted the vulnerability of this industry to unpredictable weather conditions.

These phenomena can lead to crop damage, reduced product quality and disruption of production and marketing operations, with selling prices rising due to shortages. Market gardeners therefore need to show resilience and implement adaptation strategies to minimize the negative impacts of these events, whether through weather-resistant cultivation techniquesthese include weather-resistant cultivation techniques, efficient irrigation systems and crop diversification to mitigate the risks associated with a single plant species.

Close collaboration with government agencies, agricultural insurance companies and supply chain partners can also help mitigate the impact of climate hazards on the vegetable sector, and support the sustainability of this crucial food supply chain.

4.1 Offer typology

France remains deeply rooted in its agricultural heritage, despite the decline in arable land in favor of urbanized areas. This situation means that many products retain their ***% French origin. Among these products, fruit and vegetables take pride of place, offering great diversity throughout the year. Here are just a few examples of seasonal vegetables grown in France:

In ****, **.* million tonnes of vegetables were harvested in France. Some vegetables are produced in greater quantities than others:

Regions in which these vegetables are mainly grown :

Hauts-de-France boasts the largest area of land dedicated to vegetable growing, totaling **,*** hectares. Approximately **% of the region's farms are devoted to growing these vegetable products[***]. Normandy, Brittany and Pays-de-la-Loire also stand out for their strong vegetable production. Other regions show more moderate vegetable volumes, which can be explained by higher fruit production, as in Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azure. In addition, some regions, such as Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, are highly agricultural, but more focused on animal husbandry.

4.2 Sales prices

Change in average vegetable prices France, ****-****, in € Source: ****

The average price per kilo of vegetables fluctuated considerably between **** and ****, although the average price per kilo rose by almost **% between these two years.

A peak is reached in ****, with an average price per kilo of €*.**. There are several possible reasons for this peak in ****. In ****, fruit and vegetable production in France was severely affected by unfavorable weather conditions. unprecedented frost in April, followed by heavy rain and cool temperatures in June and July. This led to a scarcity of produce on the market, as well as lower quality and less abundant fruit and vegetables, which contributed to a rise in prices. In addition, the UK's exit from the European Union has brought new customs controls and formalities, impacting trade in goods, including fruit and vegetables, and potentially increasing production and distribution costs. These combined factors are likely to have contributed to higher vegetable prices in ****.[***]

Overall, the fluctuations observed reflect varied influences such as weather conditions, seasonal variations in supply and demand, as well as economic pressures. Periods of falling prices can be attributed to an abundance of supply or increased competition, while rises can result from factors such as higher ...

4.3 Sale of downgraded "ugly" vegetables

Breakdown of fruit and vegetable production by size France, ****, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, % Source: ****

Ungauged produce accounts for a significant proportion of total production(***). These ungauged products are deemed too small, too twisted or too ugly to be sold, and will therefore be excluded from sales channels. A few of these vegetables may be fed to animals, but the majority will be thrown away or even directly abandoned on the ground and not harvested for **% of ungraded produce[***]

More and more operations are being set up by producers and agricultural cooperatives, often in conjunction with specialized companies and establishments (***). These actions are popular with the French, in particular, because they meet several challenges:

Preserving the environment by limiting food waste :

Food waste in France is a major problem, with around** million tonnes lost every year, representing around ** kg per person. Much of this waste comes from unsold food in supermarkets. To combat this phenomenon and preserve natural resources, it's important to make the most of "ugly" fruit and vegetables. Approximately **% of French fruit and vegetable production is out of size, not meeting retailers' aesthetic criteria. These products, although perfectly healthy and nutritious, are generally thrown away. According to ADEME, food waste represents an enormous loss ...

5.1 Decree no. 55-1126 of August 19, 1955 ensures vegetable quality

This *-article decree aims to regulate the sale of fruit and vegetables to ensure quality, traceability and transparency for consumers. Here is a summary of the main ideas behind the various articles:

Article *: The decree applies to the sale and transport of all types of fruit and vegetables, fresh, dry, dried or preserved by freezing, without prejudice to specific export rules. Article * : Fruit and vegetables intended for sale must be of sound, fair and merchantable quality as soon as they are delivered by producers. Article * : Packaging of fruit and vegetables for sale must be clean, in good condition, and suitable to prevent any deterioration of the produce. Article * : Detailed measures will be specified for each species or group of species of fruit and vegetables, particularly with regard to sorting, grading, presentation and labelling. Article * : It is forbidden to use misleading descriptions to designate lots of fruit and vegetables that do not meet the defined standards. Article * : Any price advertisement for fresh fruit and vegetables must include a visible and legible indication of the product's origin.

Source: ****

5.2 The hygiene package

The "Hygiene Package" represents a set of European regulations which are directly applicable in all EU member states. It covers the entire food chain, from primary production, whether animal or vegetable, to distribution to end consumers, including the food industry, the catering trade and transport. This legislation was initiated following the European Commission's White Paper on Food Safety, drawn up in response to several food crises. Coming into force on January *, ****, these hygiene regulations aim to guarantee the safety and quality of food products throughout the production and distribution chain.

The main points of compliance in vegetable production that emerge from the hygiene package are as follows:

quality of irrigation and/or washing water, plant production record-keeping (***), compliance with spreading and fertilization rules, traceability of seeds and seedlings, storage conditions for phytopharmaceutical products, good hygiene practices.

Source: ****

5.3 Act no. 2021-1357 of October 18, 2021 to protect farmers' income

Law no. ****-****, passed on October **, ****, aims to protect farmers' remuneration by restoring balance to commercial relations between producers, suppliers and distributors in the agricultural and food sector.

Among the reforms introduced, producers and manufacturers will now be required to formalize contracts for the sale of agricultural products in writing, as will suppliers and distributors for the sale of food products. Suppliers will also have to demonstrate transparency by indicating the share and cost of agricultural raw materials in their general terms and conditions of sale, with the exception of certain products such as cereals, the list of which will be defined by a recently published decree. Distributors will now have one month in which to contest these general sales conditions.

Negotiations will be more regulated, with an obligation to automatically revise raw material prices in line with production costs, and to apply fair trading conditions for all partners. This change reintroduces the ban on discrimination abolished by the **** LME law. For consumers, new provisions regulate information on the origin of food products.

source : Legifrance

6.1 Segmentation of market gardeners

First, let's recall the difference between market gardening and horticulture, which can sometimes be confused.Market gardening encompasses the production of plants for food. This includes vegetable and garden crops such as tomatoes, eggplants, melons, leeks, lettuces, radishes, cabbages, cucumbers and berries, among others. Horticultural cultivation, on the other hand, encompasses other aspects, notably the cultivation of plants for decorative purposes, such as potted plants, bedding plants, perennials, bulbs and so on.

Then, there are different types of market gardeners: traditional market gardeners, organic market gardeners and permaculture or natural farming market gardeners.

Source: ****