The Rice Supply Chain In France: Issues, Strategies And Future Developments

The European economic crisis is affecting even the agriculture and food sectors. In particular, the European rice-growing countries are facing an increasing situation of stress and problems due to the costs of rice production. In this context, the normative evolution related to CAP will be reducing help to agriculture, bringing European rice farmers to their knees, especially the small ones. This is a case study of the present situation in France, a country where, although rice production is marginal within the European context, the structure of the supply chain and the ability to promote rice as a product could give food for thought for a further comparison with Italy and Europe. The aim of this paper is to analyse the organization of the French supply chain as a whole and how this can have a positive impact on the promotion of the product "rice". The awareness of these dynamics allows us to start a comparison with the Italian rice supply chain, which needs deep changes in the light of the introduction of the new CAP regulations.