REKINDLING AMBITION FRENCH AGRI-FOOD SECTOR
With just a few months to go until SIAL Paris 2026, Audrey Ashworth, the show’s Director, is calling for a collective effort to ensure French companies regain the initiative.
Exporting is no longer an option, but a strategic necessity
France’s population growth is slowing. Domestic markets are stabilising. For many agri-food companies, growth will have to come from elsewhere. Exporting is not incompatible with food sovereignty; indeed, it is a key driver of it. Diversifying markets, spreading fixed costs and securing business models: international expansion boosts resilience. Audrey Ashworth is convinced: “Feeding France and exporting our expertise are not incompatible; quite the contrary.”
At a time when economic balances are shifting, markets are tightening and competition is intensifying, France can no longer treat exports as a secondary option.
But whilst France hesitates, others are moving forward; the message is clear. In 2024, for the first time, France was overtaken by Italy as the leading exhibiting country at SIAL Paris. And for the 2026 edition, at this stage of marketing, France ranks just behind Italy, Spain, Turkey and Greece. In light of this, the trade fair director remarks, “France likes to remind people that it is a major player in the agri-food sector. But for how much longer? In global trade, there is no place for nostalgia. Only action counts.”
Thanks to its position within the SIAL Network, the world’s leading network of agri-food trade fairs, SIAL Paris closely monitors the aggressive strategies being deployed elsewhere: massive public subsidies in Italy or Turkey, and structured schemes such as Food Export The Forum in Belgium, the Export Academy as part of the Export Growth Plan in the UK, the CanExport SME programme in Canada, and the Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) scheme in Singapore, which co-funds companies’ preparations for international expansion. In some countries, these policies are accompanied by targeted training programmes and webinars to help SMEs tackle complex markets, such as South Korea, which has made K-food a lever of influence by placing it at the heart of its soft power strategy.
In 2024, SIAL Paris welcomed visitors from nearly 200 countries, as well as 110 official delegations, including 50 ambassadors, 16 parliamentarians and 17 French and foreign ministers. This concentration of diplomatic and economic figures highlights a reality: the global food trade is actively taking shape. Audrey Ashworth confirms: “We are seeing countries moving forward in an extremely coordinated manner. They are supporting their businesses, funding their visibility and structuring their supply chains. France has everything it takes to be a leader once again. But we must all want it collectively.”
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