France had the end of 2012 some 65 000 ha of vines grown in organic (certified two-thirds, with the remainder still under conversion), or 8.2% of the national vineyard compared to 3.8% for agriculture French, according to Bio, platform (public) promotion of organic farming Agency.
"In organic is the sector that has grown as fast," said its president Elisabeth Mercier. Surveyed growers cited "concern for their own health, the environment particularly land and water, and also an economic concern, adapt in a challenging environment to meet a growing demand society. "
For the vineyard, according INRA, the second most treated crop (six to 20 treatments per year) after the apple. A study published by the magazine Que Choisir revealed residues, minimal pesticides in the 92 wines tasted.
More rigorous than the national charter
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Since the 1 st August 2012, the entry into force of the European Charter for organic wine frames with even more rigorously than the national charter in 1992 growing conditions and wine-making: the vine to the bottle, everything is 100% "certified organic."
"No more writing on the label" wine made from organic agriculture "as before," notes Richard Doughty, British-born winemaker installed in the Dordogne in 1988, organic since 1991.
This gentleman winemaker chairs France Organic Wine, inter professional former Wine Federation of Organic Agriculture (FNIVAB) who intends to organize the supply chain to marketing when the magnitude of the volume opens up new markets. "But as long as the supply structure," he shade.
The estimated 1 million hectoliters in 2012 production will reach 1.4 million this year to double in 2015. Independent growers were joined by co-operatives are also converted to organic and now represent about 20% of volumes.
The anxiety begins to dawn on the market capacity to absorb these volumes. And especially with the development of new supply came from conventional traders, including bulk.
"Maintaining an adequate level of prices is a major challenge for the future of family farms" for France Organic Wine which is about half of organic wines. His first task will be to establish benchmarks, after considering the cost of production, to secure a "decent price" to producers.
For organic produce requires a lot of labor: 3.5 full-time jobs / hectare on average against 1.8 in conventional. "In our basement, we are faced with an increase in volume, without necessarily following the market," notes Gilles Ferlanda, president of the cooperative Coteaux de Vizan (Vaucluse), also chairman of the Committee on organic wines Confederation of wine cooperatives in France.
"Complicated in terms of profitability"
"A shortage is going to a situation of abundance, without having had time to create the market. Within two to three years, it will be balanced, "he says. "You see it in Côtes du Rhône this year we received a tender of Sweden 5000 hectoliters. This is new. Before we could not feed them. "
Simply he says, "before the organic wine was sold almost double the conventional and that, it will no longer exist.But we must be able to rely on a valuation of 30 to 40%, otherwise it will be complicated in terms of profitability. "
Gilles Ferlanda is one of 15 growers (out of 150) of its cooperation to be spent in bio in 2007. Today, they realize 15% of volumes (6000 hl). On the first day of the harvest in 2013, he anticipated a "small, very small crop, but the quality is there," he said. This should solve the difficulties of flow for this year. But in the future, it does not exclude that there may be some upside conversions.
