French poultry producers leverage new agricultural law to boost output

French poultry producers are looking to the recently enacted agricultural emergency law to boost domestic production and reduce reliance on imports. Currently, 52.2% of the chicken consumed in France is imported, as domestic production struggles to keep pace with rising demand. According to Itavi, average per capita consumption reached 25.6 kg in 2025, a 5.6% increase from the previous year.

Under Article 17 of the new law, the threshold for building or expanding poultry farms without a formal authorization regime has been increased from 40,000 to 85,000 birds. Yann Nédélec, director of the French poultry interprofessional organization Anvol, stated that this change will favor the creation and extension of farms. The new framework aims to reduce the administrative and financial burden on farmers, as previous authorization formalities could cost between 15,000 and 40,000 euros and often led to legal challenges.