In France, organic products are under scrutiny: prices are too high

In France, organic products, especially fruits and vegetables, are under scrutiny. A wave of protests has erupted, involving individuals, via social media, and consumer protection organizations.

Que Choisir Together, France's largest and most powerful consumer association, reported in May 2026 that distribution margins for organic fruit and vegetables were on average 81% higher than those for conventional products. It appealed directly to the Senate to demand "urgent measures" to halt the speculation that is overwhelming the organic market.

The Consumers' Association's findings, when put together, are truly disconcerting. The price of organic tomatoes, for example, is 44 percent higher than conventional ones, while the profit margins of large-scale retailers, including those branded as green, jumps 118 percent. Organic leeks cost 185 percent more than conventionally grown ones, strawberries 96 percent, and even onions are 72 percent more expensive..

But who profits from these margins that reek of speculation? Not so much the organic producers, but rather the large retail chains, which have discovered organic food as a luxury, a veritable cash cow, and thus endlessly inflate their profit margins.

For an average French family of 2.3 people, consuming conventional fruit and vegetables costs approximately €460 per year; the same expense with organic products rises to €732, an increase of €272. Of this money, €103 goes to farmers, while €155 is new profits for distribution chains.

In April 2026, the French Competition Authority fined four organic wholesalers/distributors a total of €12,7 million after finding an agreement that limited price competition between specialty organic stores and large-scale retailers. The aim, according to the Authority, was also to prevent consumers from easily comparing prices and drive down organic stores' prices.

Also in Italy Organic farming is under fire both for soils that self-assign these characteristics and for excessively high consumer prices.

Who cheats with organic? Who speculates in the name of (false) sustainability? And who inflates the prices of any product labeled organic? Stories, characters and tales in this book.

• How to recognize if a food is truly organic
• Organic markets: the best in Italy, by region
• Organic fruit and vegetables still need to be washed.