Browse Data and Analysis

France, as a member of the European Union (EU), generally follows EU directives, regulations, and obligations. This report focuses on food laws in force in France that cover areas which are not EU harmonized. EU regulations are explained in the Food...

The French livestock industry depends on imported genetically engineered (GE) feed, especially soybean, rapeseed, and corn. However, France has no commercial production or field trials of GE crops. While most French scientists and farmers are generally supportive of biotechnology, consumer attitudes toward GE are primarily negative.

On January 24, 2022 the French State Council provisionally overruled the December 2021 ministerial order banning the sale of raw CBD hemp flowers and leaves. The court noted that the flowers and leaves of cannabis sativa L. with a THC content of less than 0.3 percent were “devoid of narcotic properties” and could therefore be marketed in France.

Despite private sector support for biotechnology, Venezuela’s ban on the domestic use of and research on modern biotechnology-derived agriculture remains in place. The backbone of this ban is the Seed Law of December 2015, which also prohibits the importation of genetically-engineered seeds.

Venezuela's economic recovery continues, strengthening Venezuelans' purchasing power and consumption. As a result, in marketing year (MY) 2022/23 wheat consumption is revised up 4 percent compared to USDA's official forecast, while imports will increase to 1.3 million MT. The United States remains the largest supplier of hard red winter wheat to Venezuela.

Food availability in Venezuela has improved since reaching an all-time low in 2019 as the result of informal dollarization of the economy, lower inflation, increased private sector activity, and a growth in domestic production and imports.

Total meat consumption in Venezuela has declined 68.9 percent since 2013 as a result of the economic collapse. However, a better economic environment since 2019 has led to a stabilization of beef production and significant growth in chicken production. In 2022, beef production is forecast to grow 5 percent from 2021 to 287,803 MT.

On May 4 and 5, 2022, Venezuela’s National Supermarkets Association held an event entitled “Radiography of the Retail Sector in Venezuela 2022.” The goal of this event was to evaluate the Venezuelan retail sector situation including changes in retail and consumer trends, emerging threats, and new opportunities for growth.

Venezuelan seafood production totaled 241,000 MT in 2021, growing by 16 percent compared to 2020. Seafood products are Venezuela’s largest agricultural export, accounting for more than 54 percent of the total value of agricultural exports in 2021.

The French food processing sector encompasses approximately 15,500 companies ranging from small family-owned businesses to some of the world’s largest multinationals. Widely regarded for global leadership in innovative technology, quality and marketing, French food processing companies provide employment to more than 433,000 people, generating $53 billion in export sales.

Venezuelan milk production reached 1.5 billion litres in 2021, just a 2 percent increase from 2020. The formal dairy industry processed 12 percent of this output, only working at 20 percent of their capacity, due to the collapse of the market and Venezuelan consumers favoring artisanal cheeses.

In 2020, French food and agricultural imports from the United States reached $1.32 billion. While exporting to France is complicated, there are many opportunities for U.S. suppliers.