France reduces agricultural sector’s dependence on imports

The French government has announced new measures to reduce the dependence of agriculture on imports, which will become part of the national environmental strategy. Following a meeting of the Environmental Planning Council, a decision was made to develop domestic production of fertilizers, protein crops and more efficient water management.

This was reported by Portail Réussir.

One of the key initiatives was the creation of a plan to ensure sovereignty in fertilizer production. Currently, more than 66% of fertilizers are imported, and 80% are produced using natural gas, which makes the agricultural sector dependent on external supplies. To solve this problem, the state will invest in the development of environmental alternatives and support for research in this area.

In particular, the production of so-called “green fertilizers” that do not require fossil fuels will be expanded. In addition, the government will stimulate the reindustrialization of the sector, which will strengthen the country’s independence from global fertilizer markets.

Another important step will be increased support for the cultivation of legumes and the production of amino acids by fermentation. This decision is aimed at reducing dependence on the import of soybeans and feed additives, which are widely used in animal husbandry.

The government pays special attention to water management issues. As part of environmental planning, a conference on water resources will be held, which should develop a solution for the efficient distribution of water and the conservation of its reserves.

The main goal is to create a system for accumulating excess winter reserves for use during periods of summer drought. This will be an important step in ensuring the sustainability of the agricultural sector to climate change.

In addition to these initiatives, the government also announced a public discussion of the National Strategy on Nutrition, Climate and Sustainable Development. It is aimed at creating a more environmentally friendly food system and adapting agriculture to modern challenges.