Food sovereignty: France dependent on key productsIt is necessary to "grow more durum wheat" in France, argue pasta manufacturers"In ten years, France's food sovereignty has not collapsed"

Pasta - made from durum wheat when soft wheat is used to make bread - illustrates a paradox. France is the second largest producer of durum wheat in Europe, behind Italy, with nearly 1.3 million tonnes in 2023. In theory, this should be enough to satisfy the growing appetite of the French for shell pasta and tagliatelle. But two-thirds of the cereal's production is exported, mainly to Italy, and comes back in the form of pasta. "We don't process enough of our durum wheat in France," says Jean-François Loiseau, president of the Intercéréales sector. The areas devoted to this crop have been halved in less than 15 years. A "sovereignty plan" worth €43 million over five years was launched last year at the Paris Agricultural Show to revive a sector that was losing momentum. "A historic milestone," boasts the industry: in 2024, poultry has overtaken pork, becoming the most consumed meat in France, with 31.6 kilograms per year and per capita, compared to 24 kg on average in the ...