This will not resolve the crisis in which the organic sector is plunged. But at least French farmers will be able to receive “by the end of the year” the balance of the aid promised by the government after the green light on Monday from the European Commission. At the end of November, the government indicated its intention to increase crisis aid for certified organic farmers by nearly 34 million euros, specifying that this extension was “subject to the prior agreement of the European Commission. »
“Eligible farms having received a first installment at the beginning of December will therefore receive, by the end of the year, the balance of the aid due,” specifies the Ministry of Agriculture in a press release published Monday. In mid-May, Minister Marc Fesneau announced a “crisis envelope” with 60 million euros to help organic farmers in difficulty.
Organic products shunned by consumers with inflation
He had also promised measures to revive demand, such as the commitment that canteens under state responsibility be “exemplary” in achieving the objective of 20% organic on the menu (compared to 14% today). ‘today). Finally, eligible applications submitted to the aid window reached 4 million euros.
To be eligible, an organic farmer must have suffered a deterioration in his annual result and cash flow of 20% or more compared to the average of two previous accounting years. With inflation, consumers are avoiding more expensive organic products, which leads to surpluses, lower remuneration for producers and closures of specialized stores.