With more than 385,000 employees, the food industry generates a turnover of 170 billion euros. As one of the pillars of the French economy, it still suffers from a deteriorated image among consumers. A « sector contract » was signed just under a month ago between the government and industrial manufacturers. By engaging side by side, the two parties hope to revive the agri-food sector and give it a new impetus.
To better meet consumer demand, this agreement is built around four pillars:
– Improve food trackability
The key word here is « transparency ». The objective is to create a digital product identity card to meet consumer expectations in terms of traceability and food quality.
– Developing the proteins of the future
Both parties undertake to finance research projects in the field of vegetable proteins, insects or biotechnological products to replace meat.
– Support research on fermented products
Fermented foods are on the rise. This third point aims to highlight the richness of ferments and the know-how of companies in this field. Thus, the « Ferments du futur » project aims to set up a research platform in 2019 to support projects and start-ups in the micro-organism, bio-production and fermentation sector.
– Encouraging employment
Finally, this last axis aims to improve access to skills and recruitment in the agri-food sector, where many positions are not filled. The aim is to develop the attractiveness of the business lines and to meet the requirements of the ecological transition.
