French farmers warn of food supply collapse due to energy crisis

PARIS (AA) - French farmers have said their energy costs have quadrupled in some cases which could lead to bottlenecks in the food supply chain.

Farmers union FNSEA warned at a press conference in Paris on Monday that the agricultural sector is at risk due to rising energy costs. The union is demanding that the state "provide concrete answers" so as not to jeopardize food sovereignty.

"Producers are wondering what they can put on consumers' plates," warned Sebastien Mery, a senior member of the union.

"Some will make decisions to stop production," she added.

Currently, small agricultural businesses in France are still not eligible for emergency government aid if their energy costs do not reach 3% of their sales in 2021.

In mid-October, Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau promised that the state would come to the aid of "energy-intensive agri-food industries" without laying out a concrete plan.