Factsheet: France Bioeconomy

France’s rural bioeconomy leverages abundant biomass and a diversified primary sector. Agriculture spans 28 Mha (51% of land) and delivers 18% of EU agricultural output, supporting ~936k jobs across ~450k holdings with ~€72.8bn revenue. The agrifood industry counts ~16,200 firms, ~435k employees and ~€169bn revenue. Forests cover ~17 Mha with ~3.3 million owners; the forest-wood value chain employs ~440k people. Fisheries and aquaculture comprise ~7,200 vessels, ~3,300 firms and ~37k workers, generating ~€1.8bn turnover. Bio-based sectors account for ~2 million direct jobs overall, with ~100k new roles in the past two decades (new materials, plant-based chemistry, biofuels). An education ecosystem of ~800 agricultural institutions underpins skills, while the 2015 National Bioeconomy Strategy sets six objectives for market uptake, sustainable resource production, innovation and evaluation frameworks.