The changing landscape of France and its future for organic farming

Abstract: The demand for organic products is high in France, and the amount of land under organic production is increasing. This is due to the Organic Certification label, that helps to bring up the price and attractiveness of organic goods, and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that provides farmers funds and assistance. However, organic farmers in France still struggle to make ends meet which is detrimental to the protection of the environment and soil quality. This study, aims to explore why these rural to small scale farmers continue to lack the resources they need, when so much aid is poured into the CAP, especially for France. This study conducts a policy analysis of the EU CAP based on a comparison with the needs of the Lot department in France and interviews with farmers from the Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The results from the methods reveal which type of farmers this policy loses sight of; rural farmers are confronted by low profits and bureaucracy within the regulation. Education in organic techniques and increasing market opportunity are not being utilized enough in rural areas. Large industrial farms should not be the primary beneficiaries of CAP assistance. These results explain why more organic farms die out, and the implications of this are sustainable policies need to include the people that continue a large part of French culture and tradition.