One year after signing an agreement with the French Ministry of Agriculture at the Paris International Agricultural Show 2024, the National Union of French Chestnut Producers (SNPC) detailed the National Chestnut Plan (covering the 4-year period 2025-2029) at this year's International Agricultural Show, on February 26th. The plan aims to halt the decline in French chestnut production through a long-term strategy. The €5 million [5.43 million USD] national plan will focus on finding solutions to the challenges related to climate, disease, and pests that chestnut growers have been facing for several years. It also aims to improve the structure of the sector.
© Fabrice Brun 29 partner organizations are involved in this project, including five research and development bodies (CTIFL, INRAE, CNRS, Invenio, Ardèche Chamber of Agriculture). International Agricultural Show 2025
"Throughout 2024, our union has been coordinating intensive work on this plan with the French Ministry of Agriculture and our research and development partners. The leaders of the chestnut sector have shown unprecedented commitment, giving their time and energy, regardless of the cost. Together, we have drawn up an exceptional plan to support chestnut production, a fundamental project in the face of the challenges we face today. Our sector is facing major health and climate challenges, and it is clear that the solutions currently available are inadequate. We also need to strengthen the structure of our sector on a national scale," explains Jean-Roland Lavergne, president of the union.
Climate change is accentuating decline and disease, and increasing quality problems
French chestnut production has averaged around 9,000 tons a year over the past 5 years (2019-2023, source: Agreste). Chestnuts account for 70% of the fresh market and the remaining 30% are used for processing (chestnut cream, whole chestnuts, flour...). Production is mainly spread over two areas with different strategies (over 60% of French orchards are organically farmed). The southeastern basin accounted for around 60% of average production over the five-year period 2019-2023, at 5,200 tons/year, mainly from so-called "traditional" orchards made up of trees of the European species Castanea sativa that are often over a hundred years old and located in mountain areas with difficult farming conditions. In many of these areas, there is virtually no other crop that can replace the chestnut tree. The main producing departments are Ardèche, Lozère, Gard, Drôme, Haute-Corse, Var, Hérault and southern Corsica. The southwestern basin accounted for around 40% of average production over the five-year period, at 3,600 tons/year, mainly from more recent orchards of hybrid varieties (crosses between European and Asian species). The main producing departments are Dordogne, Corrèze, Haute-Vienne, Lot, Tarn-et-Garonne, Lot-et-Garonne, Charente and Aveyron.
However, the effects of climate change (frost, drought...) are exacerbating decay and tree diseases (ink, canker), and increasing post-harvest quality problems (increased rotting and spread of boring caterpillars). As a result, French chestnut production is unable to satisfy its markets. France is a net importer, mainly from its European neighbors (Spain, Italy, and Portugal). It imports more than 10,000 tons/year and exports less than 3,000 tons/year (2020 data - Eurostat sources).
80% of funding devoted to finding solutions
To tackle these difficulties, a €5 million [5.43 million USD] budget was obtained from the French Ministry of Agriculture's 2024 budget at the initiative of Ardèche MP Fabrice Brun, with the support of members of parliament and elected representatives from chestnut-growing regions. Funds have been committed to 7 projects. 80% of the funds are devoted to finding solutions to the main health problems affecting chestnut production and adapting orchards to the impact of climate change, and 20% to the restructuring and coordinating of the sector. SNPC is the lead partner for the national plan, co-chairing projects on health and climate problems with INRAE.
The 7 projects :
- CROC (Chestnut Rot Control) project - Reduction of chestnut rots in the orchard and post-harvest (lead organization CTIFL)
- PROSPER project - Prophylaxis and solutions for the health of chestnut trees (lead organization INRAE UMR BIOGECO)
- RESILIÂNCE project: Resilience of chestnut farms and technical innovations in face of global challenges (lead organization CNRS-CEFE)
- MatCha project: Plant material adapted to the health and climate challenges facing chestnut groves (lead organization Ardèche Chamber of Agriculture)
- ChatOFor project: Chestnut groves optimized to combat boring caterpillars (lead organization Invenio)
- Events and support plan for the chestnut sector (project lead: SNPC)
- "Chestnut sector structuring" project (detailed below)
20% to structure and coordinate the sector
SNPC also sees room for improvement in terms of structuring the sector. The territorial coverage of the union's members is an asset that needs to be strengthened. Departmental or regional producers' unions have few means of action. Interprofessional dialogue (producers, marketers, processors, distributors) needs to be developed at the national level. Chestnuts are also poorly known by many consumers. For this reason, the "Structuring the Chestnut Sector" project will be developed. The aim is to put in place a genuine structuring of the chestnut sector in France, by bringing together all upstream and downstream players. More generally, it will contribute to the development of the sector, in particular by facilitating the appropriation and dissemination of work resulting from projects financed under the PARSADA chestnut plan, in coordination with the project leaders. The main actions will be to coordinate and lead the project and the national chestnut plan as a whole, including monitoring the five Parsada projects in co-chairmanship with INRAE:
- development of the inter-profession,
- organization of supply,
- communication initiatives.
"Over the coming months, SNPC will be heavily involved in structuring the sector on the national scale to make it stronger and give it the means to sustain its activities. French chestnut production is based on the strong identity of our region. This work of structuring the sector at the national level will be done by integrating our regional sensitivities."
Photo credits: Fabrice Brun