France vs. imports and short vs. long circuits
22 May 2025
🍎 F&V: between conviction, pleasure and logistics
At Lagache, we are ambassadors for sustainable, responsible eating. We’re driven by one conviction: eating well can be synonymous with pleasure, health and responsibility.
The French love F&V – and rightly so! They are the most virtuous foods from a nutritional and environmental point of view.
But is it possible to consume 100% French? NO, and that’s OK!
Overcoming preconceived ideas
Eating French, imported, locally produced or short-chain F&V is a virtuous choice that combines pleasure, health and environmental responsibility.
Each fruit has its own history, depending on the region, the season, the growing method… and the logistics.
👉 France is not a self-sufficient country in fresh F&V.
We have to import to cover our needs. We export very little, which confirms a trade imbalance.
📌 Not importing would lead to a significant drop in a necessary consumption recognised as a public health issue: eating “5 F&V a day”.
📌 Not importing would mean severely restricting the diversity on our plates. Would we be prepared to eat nothing but apples and potatoes all year round?
- Citrus fruits account for 5% of our consumption in France! Oranges and clementines rank3rd and4th respectively in terms of volume consumed in France, after apples and bananas.
- Exotic fruits (pineapple, mango, etc.) are not grown in mainland France.
- Certain vegetables such as aubergines, peppers, garlic, onions and grapes are in short supply and are grown in France for short periods.
🧮 Logistics & carbon footprint?
Transport represents only a small part of the carbon footprint of F&V fruit. Containers are optimised. Kiwifruit and New Zealand onions never travel alone: logistics are intelligent and responsible. The same goes for lorries: a lorry never travels empty, either on the outward or return journey.
👉 Short circuit vs Buy local
Don’t confuse health, ecology and taste
📌 Local: consumers buy their F&V within a 20 km radius of their place of residence: the approach is environmentally friendly
📌 Circuit court: this involves reducing the number of intermediaries between the producer and the consumer. Production may or may not be close to where the consumer lives (e.g. West Indian bananas).
The two approaches are complementary, but neither is sufficient on its own to feed an entire region.
The right fruit or vegetable is the one that
- Is adapted to the season (of its production region)
- Grown in good conditions
- Meets consumer tastes and expectations
At Lagache, we believe it’s possible to enjoy yourself and do good for yourself, without sacrificing your sense of social responsibility. And we do everything in our power to ensure that each of our products lives up to this promise.
