Financing the transition: how to use public finance smartly

The upcoming food sovereignty conferences are likely to shape debates on the future of French agriculture in 2026. The main responses provided over the past two years can be summarised as follows: remove production constraints to produce more of everything (both animal and plant products), to recover market shares in France and abroad. Seeking to produce more of everything without considering adaptation or transition is a form of denial, at a time when climate change is hitting farmers hard and regularly, and when our dependence on imported fertilisers and oilseed meals undermines our sovereignty. The conferences must take these considerations into account — otherwise, they will serve only to perpetuate the notion of an illusory sovereignty. 

Les choix d’investissements des secteurs agricoles et alimentaires des années à venir sont déterminants. Pour pérenniser leurs productions et faire face aux crises, les secteurs agricoles et alimentaires français doivent évoluer vers des systèmes plus résilients et durables. L’enjeu est d’autant plus crucial que différentes vagues d’investissements sont en cours ou à venir dans ces secteurs. Dans cette étude, I4CE a estimé qu’environ 100 milliards d’euros d’outils de production agricoles et alimentaires sont affectés par la transition. Une coordination et une planification des investissements semblent incontournables, notamment pour en limiter les coûts.

In a challenging economic and political context, especially for the agriculture sector, some incentive schemes can still help bring stakeholders together in climate transition and resilience initiatives. This is the case with carbon certification schemes, which both ensure the credibility of the climate impact of the actions implemented and provide remuneration for farmers and foresters for changes in practices. Some of these measures, such as replacing mineral fertilisers (mostly imported) with organic fertilisers, also help to meet the sector’s needs for resilience and strategic independence, which are crucial in the current context.