Can you tell us a bit about yourself: who are you, where do you come from, what do you do?

I was born in the Ardèche to a farming father, I’m a self-starter, a man of action at grass roots level, and I devote my energy to driving progress in the organic world by drawing on my philosophy of life. At a very early age, I was made aware of the importance of a healthy diet and caring for the environment. These values gave me the impetus I needed to start my own business with a clear idea: squaring the circle between innovation and protecting the planet. In 1988 I founded Euro-Nat, subsequently Ekibio, an all-organic company, and in 1989 with the Primeal brand we bought quinoa to Europe, opening the way for new consumption patterns.

Today I’m the chairman of SYNABIO, the trade association of organic food processing companies, which has adopted the purpose of developing a demanding, consistent and sustainable organic sector.

The future is starting to look a little brighter for the organic sector. What does the situation look from your perspective?

Demand for organic goods is picking up again, which is very good news. But this recovery should not allow us to let our guard down: we must remain vigilant, in particular in the political arena, where headwinds might put the brakes on this newfound momentum. We have to keep pushing the message that organic is a trusted solution for consumers who are looking for healthy and sustainable products.

This recovery should be the priority for all French organic verticals, from upstream agriculture to downstream retail. It is vital to mobilise all the players, in particular mass retail, which has unfortunately been disengaging from organic in recent years. To develop our sector, we need a strong farming sector, and we have to refocus the spotlight on our farmers, give their harvests the value they deserve, and guarantee them with solid outlets. That’s where the make-or-break is for the future of organic, and it’s only by working together that we will be able to enable organic to thrive in the long term.

What are Synabio’s plans to support the sector?

Sharing value in the organic supply chains is a fundamental issue. All the links in the chain, producers, processors and distributors, need to extract enough revenue to earn a living and invest. We are going to run a study on the subject in partnership with the Fondation pour la nature et l’homme. Furthermore, we are continuing with the deployment of BioED, our CSR label, which we are going to roll out with our partners from SYNADIS BIO in organic shops. Not to mention all the other services we provide: help with supplier-purchaser negotiations, and market, quality and regulatory intelligence.

What are you expecting from the next edition of Natexpo in 2025?

Above all else, I expect to see a spotlight on the organic business ecosystem: show how they are structured, how they are changing, and most of all, how they offer sustainable solutions for the future. It is also the opportunity to illustrate our members’ power of innovation, whether it be in new products or environmentally friendly practices.

Natexpo is a place where organic comes to life, where market figures meet, where ideas circulate. Like every year, I hope to see an edition that is unifying, inspiring, and compels us to do even better than before. The organic sector is constantly reinventing itself!

What’s your everyday organic reflex?

Every day, I remind myself of a single goal: achieve an all-organic agricultural transition!