France's national climate plans
FranceFood System Overview
France’s national climate contributions are incorporated within the European Union’s NDC. As part of these commitments, France developed an integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) and a Long-Term Strategy (LTS) – which, in 2020, were both submitted to the European Commission.[i] Additionally, France developed and published an addendum to the European Union NDC, where the country presents emission reduction targets for several of its overseas countries and territories that are not covered by the more broad NDC.[ii]
NECP DEVELOPMENT
The development process of the NECP was led by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and included participation from diverse stakeholders from within and outside government.[iii] The consultation process included multiple platforms for public engagement, including sectoral working groups, workshops, public debates, and online questionnaires. Additionally, the NECP includes an impact analysis that took account of several food system elements, such as improving food production practices, promoting alternative production methods, shifting diets, and promoting bio-based energy.[iv]
Food System Measures
France’s NECP directly references efforts that work towards a healthy, sustainable, and accessible food system, including a transition toward more sustainable food production facilitated primarily through the Agri-Environmental Plan.[v] Further, France’s Biodiversity Plan – which is referred to in the country’s NECP – seeks to promote and reinforce plans promoting agroecology and organic farming and includes measures to improve knowledge and management of soil biodiversity for agriculture. Additionally, the NECP addresses critical issues such as food loss and waste reduction, the conversion of food waste into biofuel, and the taxation of refrigerant greenhouse gases. Further, the NECP establishes targets for livestock production to limit emissions while recognising the need to address imported emissions.[vi]
NECP Implementation
Transitioning to a sustainable food system is funded through the government's Major Investment Plan, allocating EUR 5 billion to ecological transformation in agriculture, fisheries, agri-food, and forestry.[vii] The NECP includes measures for farmer training under the Teaching to Produce Alternatives Plan, but otherwise does not directly address smallholder farmers, women, or marginalised groups in the food system. It remains unclear whether farmers will be actively engaged in the design and implementation of these training programs. Despite this, various initiatives in France support farmers in enhancing the sustainability of their production.
- https://energy.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2019-06/necp_factsheet_fr_final_0.pdf
- https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/en_SNBC-2_complete.pdf
Sources
[i] Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, Official Journal of the European Union L328 (2018). Retrieved from: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32018R1999&from=EN.
[ii] Ministère de la Transition Écologique et Solidaire Soumission de la France ; Objet : mise à jour de la contribution déterminée au niveau national de la France (2021). Retrieved from: https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/ndcstaging/PublishedDocuments/France%20First/FR%20CDN%20 addendum%20r%C3%A9vis%C3%A9%20-%202021.pdf.
[iii] Global Alliance for the Future of Food. Untapped opportunities for climate action: an assessment of food systems in Nationally Determined Contributions. n.p.: Global Alliance for the Future of Food, 2022.
[iv] European Commission, “National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs)” (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://ec.europa.eu/energy/topics/energy-strategy/ national-energy-climate-plans_en.
[v] Ministère de l’Agriculture et de l’Alimentation, “Le projet agro-écologique en 12 clés” (2016). Retrieved from: https://agriculture.gouv.fr/le-projet- agro-ecologique-en-12-cles.
[vi] Global Alliance for the Future of Food. Untapped opportunities for climate action: an assessment of food systems in Nationally Determined Contributions. n.p.: Global Alliance for the Future of Food, 2022.
[vii] Global Alliance for the Future of Food. Untapped opportunities for climate action: an assessment of food systems in Nationally Determined Contributions. n.p.: Global Alliance for the Future of Food, 2022.