While, since 2008, organic farming has been gaining ground each year in the Paris region, the number of farms is stagnating in 2023. This is what emerges from the figures just published by the Organic Farmers' Group (GAB) of Île -de-France, as the International Agricultural Show opened on Saturday February 24 in Paris.
Organic agriculture represents 38,540 ha in the inner and outer suburbs (compared to 38,305 ha in 2022), cultivated on 664 farms.
“The percentage of Ile-de-France farms engaged in organic farming remains at 15%, and the share of usable agricultural area in the region engaged in organic farming remains at 6.83%,” details the GAB.
Far from the national average which is around 10.7%, even if the progression is dazzling: in 2000, there were only 56 farms covering barely 3,000 ha.
“We expected a lot more deconversions”
“In total, the region loses 1,425 ha in organic farming, just offset by the 1,660 ha of new farms and continued conversion,” summarizes the GAB.
Opposite, there are 31 stops for 1,243 ha, to which are added 182 ha of deconverted land.
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Even if the GAB is nuanced: “Not all the stops are linked to the economic situation – such as the multiplication of labels, the energy crisis, the decline in public support and the lack of promotion of organic.
Twelve of these farms have actually renounced organic certification to continue with conventional, five have ceased their agricultural activity, seven shutdowns have been confirmed by the certifying bodies without us yet knowing the reason and seven farms have closed their legal status, but these land has been taken over entirely by existing farms or by new organic farms created.
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For Thomas Lafouasse, organic cereal and market gardener in Pecqueuse (Essonne) and vice-president of GAB Île-de-France, the “situation could have been much worse”.
“With the organic cereal crisis, we expected a lot more deconversions,” he believes.
“Some are still setting up, particularly market gardeners, because it is a sector less subject to the vagaries of the market,” he continues.
We also need to structure ourselves.
We start by working on an organic bread sector in Île-de-France with industrial tools.
To guarantee income for producers and accessible prices for consumers.
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Sébastien Bouet, established since 2019 in Marcoussis (Essonne) mainly in market gardening, confirms that his farm is “less economically impacted” than other farms, thanks to the distribution network via their Amap.
“To help organic farming, there are several levers,” he believes.
Educating citizens to eat well, but also elected officials so that they are more sensitive to this subject.
We need an ambitious planning plan that allows conventional farmers to be supported in changing practices and equipment.
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“Accessing land is almost impossible”
Of the 34 new organic farms in Île-de-France in 2023, 12 are conversions of farms to large crops.
Half are located in Seine-et-Marne, the Ile-de-France department which has the largest number of organic areas, followed by Essonne.
This is the case of Yann Madelaine, in the process of setting up a dairy farm in Villeneuve-Saint-Denis (Seine-et-Marne) since 2022. He has so far brought together 16 cows, with the objective of a herd of around sixty animals.
“I aim for autonomy on my farm,” he confides.
Everything I produce will be used to feed the cows, and I will transform the milk on site into yogurts, cottage cheeses, dairy desserts and Brie de Meaux,” then sold locally.
Read alsoOrganic farmers are also angry but believe that “standards serve to protect us”
Yann Madelaine does not regret his choice for a minute.
“It’s a state of mind,” he assures.
I am not going organic for a commercial advantage but to offer a healthy diet.
To encourage others to follow the same path, we must review the entire system, starting with land.
Accessing land is almost impossible.
I think we also need to return to smaller structures.
When you have 700 ha, it's complicated to go organic.
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Faced with deconversions and the crisis experienced by organic farming since 2020, certain unions such as the FNSEA or the Young Farmers insist that “organic farming is a niche” and cannot be generalized.
“On the contrary, by 2050, at least 60% of agricultural areas must be and will be organic,” assures Thomas Lafouasse, from GAB.
We do not have a choice.
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“The least supported mode of production”
But how can we convince then that the context is not favorable, and that, faced with the demonstrations of farmers where organic has had difficulty making its voice heard, the government seemed to back down on subjects like phytosanitary products or environmental standards ?
Brétigny-sur-Orge (Essonne), Wednesday January 31.
Organic farmers mobilized at the end of January to get the government to help them more.
LP/Cécile Chevallier
“Public authorities must take their responsibilities and rise to the challenges,” urges Thomas Lafouasse.
We are the big losers of the new CAP eco-regime.
Before, we received aid of 240 euros per hectare.
Today, we only receive 90 euros, a loss of 150 euros.
We are the least supported mode of production.
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An aberration for the organic cereal and market gardener, who advocates the establishment of bonuses for their actions on the environment.
“Products grown organically do not generate costs for decontaminating groundwater or soil like products grown conventionally.
This must become profitable for the farmers.
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