The institution believes that this agricultural production method is beneficial for health and the environment and responds to economic and social issues. It makes twelve recommendations.
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A support policy that is not up to the ambition displayed by the public authorities. The verdict of the Court of Auditors, which has looked into the situation of organic farming in France, is final. In a report published Thursday, June 30, she highlights the breaches of French policy and develops recommendations to achieve future development objectives.
The Court of Auditors explains, in the preamble, the interest of this mode of agricultural production: it “responds to multiple issues, in particular environmental, health and economic, carried by strong social expectations”.
It draws up an inventory of scientific literature dealing with profits, both by the reduction in negative externalities, linked to other agricultural practices, as well as by its own positive externalities, this form of agricultural production being based on the prohibition of Synthetic chemical pesticides and GMOs, as well as a high limitation of antibiotics in farming.
It highlights studies which document a substantial reduction of several diseases (cancers and diabetes, among others) in regular consumers of organic products. As well as those evoking the favorable impact of this agriculture on the environment. Whether in the field of water pollution, mainly due to nitrates, phosphorus and phytosanitary products of agricultural origin. Or whether in preserving biodiversity, improving soil fertility or air quality, degraded by ammonia emissions due to nitrogen fertilizers used in conventional agriculture. Small downside, however, with the use of copper. 2>
consumption down for the first time
The institution considers that a support policy is justified by the benefits for health and the environment. France implemented it in the 1990s, within the European framework. Several plans have been launched. However, according to the Court of Auditors, “since 2010, none of the three horizon and successive organic ambition programs has fulfilled its objectives. In particular, neither the 15 % SAU [useful agricultural surface] nor the 20 % of organic products in Public canteens were not reached at 1 er January “. Even if the conversion dynamics have been strong, 13.4 %of French farms having changed to this type of agriculture, the SAU reaches 10.3 %, at the end of 2021. And consumption in canteens caps at 6 %.
The institution considers that the question of support is even more crucial today, at a time when European ambitions are strengthening and the French organic market crosses a zone of turbulence. Indeed, for the first time, in 2021, after years of two -digit growth, consumption marked the step, with a drop of 1.34 %.
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