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Summary of our market study
French household consumption of fresh vegetables is estimated at €12 billion.
The global market for fresh vegetables is expected to grow strongly and steadily from 2020 to 2022. China is the main player, accounting for around 40% of the world's agricultural land devoted to vegetable production, and producing around 620 million tonnes of vegetables a year.
With a production of around 7 million tonnes, France is the second largest vegetable producer in Europe after Spain. France's vegetable trade balance has always been in deficit.
developments in the French vegetable industry
The number of vegetable farms increased between 2010 and 2020, with a total of around 15,300 farms in 2022. The average size of French market garden farms has risen from 9 hectares in 2010 to 12 hectares in 2020. The sector is expected to employ around 100,000 people by 2023, most of them on fixed-term contracts due to the seasonal nature of the work.
The Hauts-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Bretagne and Occitanie regions alone account for more than half of the country's total surface area devoted to vegetable production.
french market gardeners are organized into cooperatives such as the Société d'Intérêt Collectif Agricole (SICA).this local anchoring is essential to the success of market gardeners, as it enables them to negotiate effectively with wholesale markets and establish solid partnerships.
Current trends favor short distribution channels such as AMAPs, where consumers pre-purchase part of the harvest, reinforcing the direct relationship between producer and consumer.
Consumption patterns in France are influenced by changing dietary trends, with an increase in vegetarian and flexitarian diets. Around 2-3% of the French population follow a meat-free diet, and more than half of the population express a desire to change their diet.
Climatic hazards such as storms and floods are a constant threat to the sector. Inflation (5.2% by 2022) will penalize the consumption of fresh produce
Market gardeners
Traditional market gardeners and organic specialists
Agricultural cooperatives and SICAs (Sociétés d'Intérêt Collectif Agricole) structure the market.
Specialized shipping companies transport perishable goods.
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Summary and extracts
1 Synthèse du marché
1.1 Definition and presentation
Market gardening is the intensive facet of vegetable production, mainly intended for sale as fresh produce. A market gardener is a farmer who grows vegetables. Market gardening encompasses the cultivation of fresh vegetables, whether under cover or in the open field. This farming practice is characterized by great diversity, both in the types of vegetables grown and in the cultivation and marketing methods employed.Market gardeners are active throughout France, with a particularly strong presence in Brittany, Aquitaine, Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy.
France is Europe's second-largest vegetable producer after Spain, and fresh vegetable production is set to increase between 2020 and 2022, before declining slightly in 2023. Our study will focus on fresh vegetable production in France; vegetables processed into canned or frozen products will not be included in our scope of analysis.
It should be noted that, worldwide, the fresh vegetable market is doing well, and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 2. 8% between 2022 and 2028. China amply dominates the market, with 40% of the world's agricultural land used for vegetable production, and over 615 million metric tons of fresh vegetables produced in 2022.
In France, the market evolves in line with consumer trends, and growers must also adapt to the vagaries of the weather, which have a major impact on harvests.
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
2 Demand analysis
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
3 Market structure
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
4 Offer analysis
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
5 Regulations
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
6 Positioning the players
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 ...
List of charts presented in this market study
- Distribution of types of employment contracts on the market gardeners' market
- Number of farms by specialization
- Average farm size by specialization
- Distribution of hectares used for fresh vegetable production worldwide
- Top 10 most-produced vegetables
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