Budget Cuts Put Agence Bio at Risk

During budget deliberations, the French Senate approved a proposal by Senator Laurent Duplomb (Les Républicains) to cut €2.9m for the national Agence Bio. This effectively abolishes the French organic agency; its tasks are to be transferred to other institutions such as France AgriMer, an agency under the Ministry of Agriculture. The French government, through Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard, issued a “benevolent approval,” a so-called “avis de sagesse,” to the adoption of this proposal. This is one of the main reasons why there have been strong protests from the sector.

Agence Bio is a national platform founded in 2001 with 23 permanent staff, supported by the French government and trade unions, but also by trade associations and organic organizations. Its three essential tasks include first, the central analysis and communication of all data from the organic sector. The agency also supports numerous development projects in the organic sector through the “Avenir bio” fund, currently endowed with €18m. And finally, it informs and promotes organic farming. On February 22nd, the major BioRéflexe campaign is set to launch at the Paris Agricultural Show under the motto “C’est bio la France!”.

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Government recommends agency budget cuts

Just hours before the debate on agricultural tasks, the French government submitted an amendment to cut the Ministry of Agriculture's budget by €284m—part of the €30bn in total savings the government is seeking. According to the daily newspaper "Le Figaro," the French Finance Minister had specifically imposed cost-saving targets on ministries for agencies, of which there are thousands in France.

For the crisis-ridden French organic sector, the decision comes at an inopportune time. Agence Bio President Jean Verdier complained to the AFP news agency of an outright attack "on the food and agricultural transition," which is actually a declared goal of the government. "Le Figaro" quoted a joint statement from producer associations, chambers of agriculture, unions, and retailers: "There is an agency dedicated to this agriculture of general interest, which must not be destroyed by scattering its assets and expertise to the four winds. While organic is growing in all our neighboring countries, especially in Germany, we should not go against the tide of history." The Ministry of Agriculture, on the other hand, stated that the Minister is committed to ensuring that the tasks currently carried out by Agence Bio "will continue to be optimally performed even in the event of a merger." SP

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