Eloise Trenda
Research Expert covering global food topics with a focus on the French, Spanish, and LATAM markets
Get in touch with us nowThe table apple is the leading fruit grown in France. With about 1.5 million tons produced each year, France is the third European producer of apples, behind Poland and Italy. While over 20 varieties are available, Golden Delicious, Royal Gala, and Granny Smith are the leaders on the market. Moreover, for one apple sold on the French domestic market, another one is sold on the international market, and another is processed (juice, compotes, etc.). It is one of the rare fruits produced in France with a positive trade balance.
Although fruit and vegetable consumption among the French population has increased since the beginning of the twenty-first century, it is far from reaching the “five a day” recommended by the National Nutrition Health Program. However, if consumption has never succeeded in matching these objectives, it is not necessarily for lack of will, but perhaps simply for pecuniary reasons. Indeed, fruits and vegetables, especially when they are fresh or organic, are expensive. In fact, on average organic fruit costs over three euros more.
Nonetheless, numbers have changed since the March 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown. In 2020, consumption of fruits and vegetables increased. This trend may have been encouraged by the health crisis, and the additional amount of time spent in the kitchen in some households due to confinement or working from home.
