"This is a growing market with great potential."

After crises over mad cow disease, dioxin, foot-and-mouth and swine fever, and amid continued concerns over genetically modified crops (GMOs), organic farming has taken off over the past decade in Europe.

But in France, where some 540,000 hectares are devoted to organic production -- almost two percent of total farmland -- interest lags behind many countries in Europe and is in decline.

A lack of government incentives, high prices and the fact that much of France's traditional farm output is less intensive than elsewhere have been put forward as reasons for this.

France has 11,000 organic farms, mostly dairy producers.

National Federation for Organic Farming (FNAB) figures show that in Italy, for example, more than one million hectares, almost 10 percent of available farmland spread over 50,000 farms, are devoted to organic production.

In Germany, the total is 700,000 hectares and in most Scandinavian countries the proportion of farmland devoted to organic output is way above five percent.

NEW GOVERNMENT HELP

The government is trying to make up for lost time.

Its new 20-year blueprint for agriculture contained specific measures for organic farming, which it said recorded a two percent drop in cultivated area and a three percent fall in the number of farms last year.

Under the plan, France would grant a tax rebate to farmers who earned 40 percent of their income from organic farming, a measure estimated to cost 18 million euros in 2006.

France now has an organic cattle herd of some 125,000 animals, up sixfold from 10 years ago, against a total herd of close to 20 million head. Organic sheep numbers are now 130,000, up from just 15,000 in 1995.

France's national meat lobby group INTERBEV said in April supermarkets had driven consumer awareness and acceptance of organic products.

By 2002 45 percent of all organic products were sold in supermarkets, 35 percent in specialist shops, 10 percent in direct sales from farms and 10 percent by other networks.

In a recent consumer survey by pollster IFOP, 32 percent of those asked bought organic meat at least once a week, with the fact that there were strict controls over production, a respect for the environment and better food safety all cited as reasons.

However, 91 percent said they agreed with the statement that organic meat was too expensive.