France Drawing Up Plan to Shield Food Output From Rival Imports

France is racing to forge a strategy to protect the country’s food industries against growing imports and to bolster exports, as it faces the prospect of the first agricultural trade deficit in almost half a century.

The government intends to draft a national plan in mid-2026, Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard said Monday. She also wants to set up a “sovereign fund” for the industry, as well as an inspection force to guarantee that all imported goods respect European Union standards.

France’s Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard

Photographer: Julien de Rosa/AFP/Getty Images

“The agricultural war threatens us a little more each day, and it is time to act,” Genevard said during ...