French consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables reaches €23.5 billion

Consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables in France is worth €23.5 billion excluding potatoes, of which €1.5 billion outside the home. This is equivalent to around 9 million tonnes of domestic and imported fresh fruit and vegetables consumed in the country. French consumers spend 11,9% of the food budget or about 1% of their total annual budget for fresh fruit and vegetables.

Positive and negative factors

The latest consumer surveys show a sharp slowdown, with food inflation in 2024 at just +1.4% (+1.5% for fruit and vegetables), compared with +11.8% in 2023 (+10.2% for fruit and vegetables). Overall consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables fell by -2% in 2024, despite stabilized inflation and the Olympic Games, with unfavorable weather conditions not helping. Consumption fell by 3% in 2023. Consumer behavior is also slowly returning to long-term trends such as specialties and organic products (their consumption has stopped falling). French consumers also prefer convenience stores and specialty grocers to hypermarkets. Food waste is also part of daily habits.

The challenge of consumption

The latest promotional campaigns, such as Interfel's, attempt to capitalize on the positive values generated by fresh fruit and vegetables and perceived by consumers. Trust, pleasure, proximity and zero waste are the main values sought by consumers, according to the latest survey conducted by Interfel/FAM in 2024. The latest "Jamais Trop" campaign is a good example of this.

A highly organized industry

The French fruit and vegetable sector comprises 15 national trade organizations. 6 colleges cover upstream production: Fédération Nationale des Producteurs de Fruits (FNPF), Fédération National des Producteurs de Légumes (Légumes de France), Fédération Française de la coopération Fruitière Légumière et horticole (FELSCOOP), Gouvernance Economique des Fruits et Légumes (GEFeL), Coordination Rurale and Confédération Paysanne. 9 colleges cover the downstream end of the chain: ANEEFEL (shippers and exporters), UNCGFL (wholesalers), Saveurs Commerce (convenience stores), FCD (distributors), FCA (cooperative retailers), Restau'Co (direct catering), SNRC (institutional catering), CSIF (importers), SNIFL (importers and exporters). For more information on trends in France", please write to support9@fructidor.com