Martin Gutton was appointed Director-General of FranceAgriMer, the French Agency for Agricultural and Seafood Products, on February 1, 2025. His appointment by the Council of Ministers took place the previous month.
Gutton is an agricultural engineer and a graduate of the Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon (AgroParisTech) and the École Nationale du Génie Rural, des Eaux et des Forêts. He has held numerous leadership positions in French agriculture and forestry throughout his career. From February 2015 to July 2024, he served as Director-General of the Loire-Brittany Water Agency (Orléans) before being appointed Interministerial Delegate for Water Management in Agriculture to the Ministers of Agriculture and the Environment in August 2024.
Gutton replaces Christine Avelin, who led FranceAgriMer for nearly eight years and, according to a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, "will soon be appointed to new duties."
Gutton Faces broad range of responsibilities
In his new role, Martin Gutton will be responsible for implementing the 2024-2028 Objectives and Performance Contract (COP), signed less than a year ago by FranceAgriMer and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty. This contract defines the strategic direction of the agency.
FranceAgriMer has two central tasks: First, it implements administrative measures under the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), including managing EU-funded crisis aid. Second, it implements the plan for ecological transition in agriculture. This plan includes France's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.
"From my experience in decentralized services," Gutton is quoted by the Ministry as saying, "I have learned to constantly strive for dialogue and compromise. This is something I share with FranceAgriMer: Coordination with all agricultural professions is part of the company's DNA. This will be one of my priorities."
