French Bioeconomy: National Strategy and Biomass Potential

France is a leader in the European bioeconomy, leveraging 28 million hectares of agricultural land and 16 million hectares of forests to drive sustainable biomass production. The country contributes 18% of EU agricultural output, with key sectors including cattle (19 million heads, €72.8 billion revenue), fisheries and aquaculture (€1.8 billion, 37,000 jobs), and bioenergy (60% of renewable energy). Waste management contributes €17 billion and supports 120,000 jobs, with 15,000 in bioresource activities. Biobased chemicals supply 5–10% of the chemical industry, and bioenergy capacity reached 2.1 GW in 2019. A national strategy, launched in 2015, unites key ministries to advance innovation, market uptake, and sustainable resource use, aiming to create over 90,000 new jobs in the next 20 years. Agricultural education is adapting to meet workforce demands in emerging bioeconomy sectors.