Organic fields of major crops in France (such as wheat, corn, triticale and barley) showed a very sharp decline between 2008-2009 and 2009-2010: -13% for wheat, -6% for maize and -1% for triticale, according to data collected at the last meeting of the FranceAgriMer Group of Experts. Only barley showed an increase by 8%.

Totally, in the 2009-2010 season the fields grown with organic cereals amounted to less than 60,000 hectares, against 63,300 hectares in 2008-2009, showing a decrease by 4,000 ha (-6%). The increase of governmental aids to the organic industry proposed by former Agriculture Minister, Michel Barnier has to bear its fruits yet, as the announcement was made too late in relation to planting.

The question is whether these coming aids will be sufficient to convince farmers to take the step of organic conversion, as organic farming does not ensure as much yields as conventional agriculture. According to agriculture-environnement.fr, for organic wheat, the estimated average yield has stagnated at 27 q / ha, compared to 77 q / ha recorded for conventional wheat in 2009.

Compared with 36.5 million tons of conventional wheat produced in 2009 - including about 17 million destined for export, for a turnover of 3 billion euros - the 73,000 tons of organic wheat appear to be insignificant amounts. But mostly, they are below the single demand of millers themselves, which amounted in 2009 to 75,000 tons. Consequently, imports of organic wheat have still grown last year: 35,000 tons, against 33,000 the previous year.