The French government wants to combat unjust attacks on livestock farming. These are often driven by an ideology aimed at ending the hitherto familiar human-animal relationship. That is why they want a ban on cultured meat at the European level.

Marc Fesneau, minister of agriculture and food sovereignty, presented the government's plan to the livestock sectors on 25 February. He indicated that France must be able to supply its population with food from animals raised on French soil. "Today, livestock production is in danger and the recapture of our sovereignty is imperative: we must produce what we consume," he said. This plan not only defines an ambition and a way of working; it provides very concrete answers to the challenges faced by breeders, while preparing for the future by improving the resilience of the livestock sector to health and climate risks."

While the Dutch government is busy sharply downsizing the livestock and meat sector and going full throttle on cultured meat, we see France changing tack completely. It even wants to call for a European ban on cultured meat. It is already banned in Italy.

Measures French livestock and meat sector 

• Tax and social benefit of €150 million for livestock
• Publication of the decree, before the end of February, to protect the names used to designate food of animal origin
• Obligation for collective restaurants to integrate 100% sustainable and quality products into their menus of French "meat" and "fish"
• €400 million in guaranteed loans accessible to the livestock sector from July 2024 and alignment of environmental assessment thresholds for stables with European thresholds from April 2024
• Allocation of €30 million a year to support investment in agricultural equipment that contributes to the significant reduction of greenhouse gases, release of a €15 million budget to strengthen the fight against tuberculosis, etc.

In the Netherlands, member Tjeerd de Groot (D66) has asked the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality questions about this. He disagrees with France and actually wants to promote cultured meat. Well, this will hurt investors in synthetic food.

Sources:

https://agriculture.gouv.fr/lancement-du-plan-gouvernemental-renforce-de-reconquete-de-notre-souverainete-sur-lelevage

https://www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerstukken/kamervragen/detail?id=2024Z03126&did=2024D07183