The area dedicated to organic viticulture in France increased by 1.6% last year, while the area of organic farming declined for the first time. This was reported by the French Agence Bio to the AFP news agency. By the end of September 2024, 340 winegrowers had given up, while 390 newly certified operations had been added. After 20 years of growth, the organic cultivation method, which excludes pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, now accounts for nearly 22% of French vineyards, compared to just 6% in 2010. Today, France has the largest organic wine-growing area in Europe, generating revenues of €1.5bn, one-third of which comes from exports."
This success story is at risk of coming to a premature end in light of the current challenges. The organizers of the Millésime Bio trade fair, which will take place in Montpellier at the end of next month, admitted to AFP that viticulture in France is overall 'uncertain.' Nicolas Richarme, a winegrower from the Gard department and president of the industry association SudVinBio, which organizes the fair, described this as a turning point for the sector. After the conversion boom of 2018 to 2020, which saw annual increases of over 20%, the industry must now deal with a surplus of organic wine production: 'There is more supply than demand. Consumers are not as quick as the winegrowers.' Although organic wine is increasingly sold directly and less through large retail chains, sales are heavily affected by inflation. Moreover, the difficult weather conditions have significantly slowed the conversion process in the past year. SP
