Sustainable French livestock farming promoting low-carbon agriculture through eco-friendly feed and carbon reduction strategies

France's Vision for a Low-Carbon Agricultural Future

January 29th 2025

France is paving the way toward a low-carbon, circular, and sustainable economy, with ambitious plans laid out in the National Low Carbon Strategy (2015) and Ecological Planning (2023). These frameworks aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and ensure annual reductions in the country’s carbon footprint. The agricultural sector, as a cornerstone of this transformation, plays a pivotal role in meeting these goals.

 

Transforming Low-Carbon Livestock Farming

Agriculture’s carbon reduction targets are ambitious: a 16% cut in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 and a 46% reduction by 2050 compared to 2020 levels. Livestock farming, which accounts for nearly half of agricultural GHG emissions, is at the forefront of these efforts. However, the focus is not on reducing livestock numbers but rather on minimizing the environmental impact per kilogram of animal product.

A key driver in this transformation is animal feed, which contributes 50-70% of the total GHG impact, depending on the species. The sector has introduced a decarbonization roadmap targeting emissions across SCOPE 1, 2, and 3, with strategies including:

  • Reducing GHG emissions during ingredient production and processing
  • Improving nutritional and environmental performance of animal rations
  • Decarbonizing feed manufacturing processes


Measurement Tools and Harmonized Standards

To ensure measurable progress, the animal nutrition sector has prioritized GHG quantification tools for animal nutrition products and their impact on animal products. The development of a harmonized framework for calculating environmental footprints of compound feeds ensures reliable and comparable data.

This framework aligns with the European Commission’s Green Labelling standards, FEFAC guidelines, and French environmental labelling regulations, setting a benchmark for sustainable practices. By supporting farmers, compound feed manufacturers, and animal sectors, the guide helps integrate environmental performance into farm-level calculations.