The organic industry in the Hautes-Alpes


Organic production: key figures


PACA  1st for organic production in France.

In 2009, PACA was the first French region as for agricultural areas dedicated to organic production with 7.6% of total usable agricultural area, to be compared with 2.12% at a national level. It represents 51,556 ha used for organic agriculture in the PACA region.

The regional offer is in concordance with the demand: 47% of organic consumers, vs. 44% at a national level.

Hautes-Alpes: 4th organic producer in France.


8.3% of the Hautes-Alpes’ agricultural area, that is 7,544 ha, are dedicated to organic production. Hautes-Alpes is ranked 4th, just behind Bouches-du-Rhône (8.5%). A majority of the 115 organic producers in the Hautes-Alpes are breeders: more than 50% are both cattle breeders (sheep, beefs, goats, etc.) and cereal producers.

The organic production division is the following:  


Livestock production (headcount)


Meat sheep 4,194    
Poultry 995    
Goats 467    
Meat beefs 248    
Milk sheep 182    
Dairy cows 147    

Plant production (organic and conversion) areas (ha)


Meadow (including fallow) 6,450 ha
Cereals/oleaginous 741 ha
Fruits 137 ha
Aromatic plants 112 ha
Vegetables 82 ha
Vineyard 23 ha

Source: Observatoire National de l’agriculture Biologique. 2008 figures


This favovable situation is reinforced by the introduction of organic food in school restaurants and the development of a network of pilot farms.