Tomatoes, courgettes, and peppers: Buying organic vegetables out of season is possible again in France

Consumers will again be able to buy French tomatoes labeled organic out of season, therefore grown in greenhouses heated with fossil gas, under a court decision which saddens some of the producers. Torn between supporters of greenhouse heating in the name of economic rationality and those of organic farming that respects the cycle of the seasons, France had reached a compromise in 2019 which was repealed on Wednesday by a decision of the Council of State. The highest administrative court considered that the French authorities were "not competent" to enact new provisions relating to the production and marketing of organic products, already governed by a European regulation. Plug in the heater In 2019, the arbitration found under the aegis of the Minister of Agriculture at the time Didier Guillaume sought to close the battle between historical organic players and producers wishing to accelerate its development. This compromise did not prohibit organic market gardeners from heating ...