Avril + the agricultural sector = a pact of trust
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Create value, secure markets, and prepare for the future
Founded in 1983 by oilseed and protein crop producers, Avril was born out of a strong conviction: to secure the future of French agriculture, we must collectively invest in market opportunities, develop sectors and share the value created equitably.
This model, based on an integrated approach from upstream to downstream, now enables Avril to be involved at every stage, from seed to finished products: processing, industrial development, and in the renewable energy, consumer goods, animal nutrition, and plant chemistry markets.
Strong growth in agricultural areas in France
Agricultural areas between 1980 and 2025
x4 oilseed acreage in France (from 0.5 Mha in 1980 to 2.1 Mha in 2025)
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As a farmer, Avril helps me create value on my farm by providing me with visibility and solid, long-term market opportunities. This security is essential: it allows me to maintain agricultural production while investing in diversification, which is vital to the economic stability of farms.
Being supported by a well-structured group like Avril allows us to be part of a more robust and resilient model.
Beyond economic value, Avril makes a concrete contribution to agricultural sovereignty by supporting local production rooted in the regions. It is a way to preserve jobs, skills, and the ability to decide our own production methods.
For me, sovereignty rests on an agriculture capable of creating sustainable value, while respecting economic, social, and environmental requirements.
Guillaume Chartier
Farmer in the Oise department, president of the Fondation Avril, and member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the FOP
Processing of French seeds
In 2025
3,4 MT rapeseed and sunflower seeds processed in 2025 by Saipol, France’s leading seed processor
72,2% raw materials sourced in France among the raw materials processed by Avril in France (Saipol and animal nutrition)
+20,000 vehicles running on Oleo100 in 2025, produced entirely from French rapeseed
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For me, Avril plays a key role in securing market access in an open global market, while enabling us farmers to capture greater value and ensure the long-term future of our oilseed and protein crops.
By participating in the “Lesieur Huiles Engagées” initiative, I am part of a structured and transparent supply chain where agricultural practices are recognized and made visible all the way to the consumer. This initiative is based on specific commitments regarding French origin, traceability, and better value for rapeseed and sunflower production—all of which are synonymous with recognition and fair compensation. It is a concrete approach that directly links the fields to the bottles of oil and helps create long-term opportunities for our agriculture.
Stéphanie Flament
Grain and sugar beet farmer in Seine-et-Marne, member of the FOP executive committee
Our investments in France to support regional economic development
In 2025
62 industrial sites in France
€396 M total investment in France for regional development in 2025 (including industrial CAPEX, Sofiprotéol commitments, and external growth)
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On my farm in Alsace, I see every day the scale of the changes we are facing. Geopolitical turmoil, unfair competition, a lack of vision for agriculture, and the growing impacts of climate change: the effects on the remuneration and recognition of our work are significant and are profoundly shaking up our sense of normalcy. In this context, no farm and no industry can make it on its own.
This is where Avril comes in. From the very beginning, two simple yet powerful ideas championed by its founders have remained at the core of its mission: producers taking control of their own markets, and profits reinvested to improve those markets. Since the agricultural sector is at the heart of Avril’s governance, they ensure that strategic decisions are grounded in the daily reality of our farms while also aligned with a long-term vision.
In these times of crisis, interdependence takes on its full meaning. With a strong industrial presence across the regions and a business model that reinvests its profits in agricultural development, Avril acts as a collective buffer. For farmers, the effects are very tangible: rapeseed and sunflowers are now profitable crops, thanks to the initiatives led and championed by the representatives of oilseed and protein crop producers united within the FOP, which governs Avril. In a strained agricultural landscape, this ability to move forward together, over the long term, fundamentally changes the game.
Benjamin Lammert
Farmer, President of the FOP
A collective mobilization for the future of French farms
Study on Agricultural Resilience
In the context of climate, economic, and geopolitical upheavals, French agriculture must accelerate its transformation. The “Agricultural Resilience” study, conducted by Sofiprotéol in partnership with Crédit Agricole, InVivo, and Unigrains, highlights a key point: sustainable and competitive agriculture is possible, provided there is a collective effort across the entire sector.
A pillar of the economy, it accounts for 3.8% of GDP and 1.4 million jobs, but remains under pressure: rising costs (+25% over five years), climate hazards, and insufficient generational renewal. Across nearly 50% of the land in agricultural use, inaction could jeopardize 90% of production and 80% of the land by 2050, resulting in annual losses of up to 7 billion euros.
Solutions exist: diversification, precision agriculture, new practices, and innovations. Their implementation will require €16 to €29 billion in investments, with an estimated return on investment in 10–11 years. This transformation relies on the coordinated commitment of all stakeholders to build a self-sufficient, sustainable, and high-performing agricultural sector.
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As a mixed-crop and livestock farmer in Seine-Maritime, and as president of Chambres d’agriculture France, I see it every day: it is essential to link farm competitiveness to the climate transition in order to ensure both their economic viability and their sustainable adaptation to environmental challenges. Avril plays a key role in this regard. By securing market outlets and investing in France’s oil and protein sectors, Avril creates markets, finances projects, and encourages innovation, with gradual support at the local level, enabling farmers to join structured supply chains while seizing new economic opportunities.
By transforming our production, Avril connects the agricultural sector with manufacturers and end customers, fostering more stable incomes. It is this enduring connection to the economic realities on the ground—a connection guaranteed by the four agricultural representatives serving on Avril Gestion’s Board of Directors—that sets Avril apart.
Sébastien Windsor
Farmer, Vice President of the FOP, President of the French Chambers of Agriculture
PeaBoost: The Pea of the Future
Revitalizing protein pea cultivation is a major challenge for French agriculture. Through PeaBoost, Sofiprotéol and the oilseed and protein crop sector are committed to accelerating the development of new high-performance varieties capable of restoring farmers’ confidence in this strategic crop for protein self-sufficiency. Created by three French seed companies with the support of Sofiprotéol, the PeaBoost Economic Interest Group (GIE) is leading the Pea4Ever research program, with a budget of 50 million euros over five years, to develop varieties that are more productive, more resilient, and better adapted to climate challenges.
For farmers, the benefits are tangible: increased and more reliable yield potential, improved disease resistance, and enhanced soil fertility through nitrogen fixation. In 2025, the first phase of the program will be implemented with an initial public grant of 5 million euros, supplemented by investments from seed companies and the industry through Sofiprotéol via a dedicated fund. This collective effort strengthens a pea industry that is more competitive, sustainable, and attractive.
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Discussions within the supply chain provide a better understanding of economic balances and their direct effects on our production. This ability to think and act collectively gives farmers concrete tools to defend their supply chains and influence decisions that have a real impact on our farms.
With Avril, I experience a way of working based on mutual respect, trust, and collaboration between farmers and the Group’s teams. This relationship translates into tangible successes, such as the “Vis ma Terre” program, which allows employees to visit our farms and better understand our realities on the ground. This way of working together strengthens collective effectiveness and gives farmers more influence in sector dynamics.
Jean-René Meunier
Farmer in Morbihan and a member of the FOP Board of Directors
