ORGANIC FARMING: REVIVAL PLAN IH FRANCE UNDER FIRE FROM RURAL ORGANISATIONS

摘要

Having been the clear leader in the organic farming race in the 1980s, France has now gone to the back of the queue of countries successfully producing organic food, according to a report drafted by a French MP, Martial Saddier. With 1.5 % of its farmland devoted to organics, France now lies in 13th place in the European league table and 25th world-wide. Excessive national regulation, lack of harmonisation of public aid and EU legislation, and serious shortcomings in the field of research and communication are among the main reasons cited. The Saddier report is expected to serve as a basis for an upcoming French Government plan to re-launch the sector. Expected before the end of January, the plan is already being contested by a host of farming and rural organisations involved in organic farming and who feel the Government's plan falls down for not being properly considered in advance with organic farmers' organisations. As it stands, they feel it is quite unacceptable, they say.