Can France become a world heavyweight in caviar?

In a market considered "opaque", Aquitaine caviar should obtain European recognition of a protected geographical indication (PGI) at the beginning of 2024, a guarantee of transparency and a "strategic" label in the face of international competition, particularly from China. With 50 tonnes of sturgeon eggs per year, France cannot compete in volume with China, which produces 250 tonnes of this emblematic dish and alone accounts for around half of the world market, ahead of Italy and Poland. This is why four of the largest French producers, all based in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, initiated a slow process 10 years ago to obtain this very first European PGI dedicated to caviar, hoped for in March or April. A new label to take the market "against the tide", explains to AFP Laurent Dulau, general manager of Sturgeon, French leader with 20 tonnes per year. "It's a market where, traditionally, chiaroscuro is required. Human greed means that we can cheat on the origins, the age of the caviar... We ...