Organic Cow Milk Production in France Reverts to 2020 Levels

The organic cow milk sector in France faces a challenging phase, following continuous growth, the number of producers has reverted to levels recorded in early 2020. The main reasons include the loss of profitability compared to conventional milk and uneven evolution in the consumption of organic products.

According to data from CNIEL, the number of organic milk producers fell by 6% between January 2024 and January 2025. Since reaching a peak in 2022, the sector lost 14% of its contributors. Areas like Hauts-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and Auvergne-Rhône have been particularly affected, with one in five organic producers either stopping or reverting to conventional production.

Production has also dropped; in 2024, organic cow milk production was 1.170 billion liters, a decline of 120 million liters from 2022 levels, marking a 4.4% annual decrease, similar to 2023. However, some regions like Grand Ouest managed to contain the fall, while Centre-Val de Loire even saw an increase in annual production volume.

Yet there are signs of potential improvement. Specialized stores report that organic product consumption is starting to recover, with the top 16 organic brands seeing more than a 7% growth in sales, alongside price stabilization. The supermarket sector is also experiencing a slowdown in the decline of organic milk consumption, with a reduction of just 3% in early 2025 compared to steeper declines in previous years.

In Germany, organic liquid milk sales have hit record levels despite a general decline in milk consumption, and organic products hold a 15% market share in the milk consumption segment.