The poultry, egg, foie gras, pork, and rabbit sectors presented a joint plan at the Paris International Agricultural Show, with a 2035 horizon, to strengthen French "food sovereignty" in the area of white meat. This manifesto, entitled "Reconquest and Maintenance," includes 15 measures and provides for at least €9,5 billion in investments funded by the professionals themselves.
Representatives of the agricultural sectors insist: they are not asking for direct subsidies, but for a simplification of rules and standards. According to them, the necessary investments will be financed by farmers through loans. Their objective is to increase domestic production to bring it closer to consumption levels, as some sectors, particularly eggs and poultry, are struggling to keep up with domestic demand, having been weakened in recent years by outbreaks of avian flu.
The plan calls for a massive effort in the construction and renovation of farms. The poultry sector estimates it needs 220 new standard chicken houses per year, as well as 60 Label Rouge buildings, totaling nearly 2,800 new chicken houses by 2035, representing an investment of €2,8 billion. Egg producers are targeting 575 new chicken houses over the same period, for €1,1 billion.
Professionals are calling for a specific environmental regime
In the pork sector, 100 new or acquired farms are planned each year, representing a cumulative investment of €5 billion. The rabbit industry anticipates 300 new facilities by 2035, representing an investment of €300 million, while the foie gras sector plans for 55 new production units and around 100 acquisitions annually.
Industry professionals are calling for a specific environmental permitting system for livestock farming, separate from that for industrial facilities, as well as the exclusion of white meat from the European directive on industrial emissions. These proposals are raising concerns among environmental organizations, which fear an increase in intensive livestock farming.
This plan comes amid a decline in France's food trade surplus, which has fallen to €200 million by 2025, a historically low level. Industry stakeholders are also advocating for mandatory origin labeling of meat, including in restaurants, to support domestic production in the face of international competition.
