France's collective canteens are increasingly tracking organic and quality products, with 59% now electronically declaring purchases, per Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard.
More canteens use electronic declarations
The number of canteens electronically declaring their purchases has grown significantly in 2026, improving tracking of organic and quality products in meals, according to Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard. Nearly 50,000 canteens, including nurseries, hospitals, and companies, submitted declarations through the "ma cantine" platform, covering 59 percent of collective catering sites.Declaration numbers rise sharply
The 2026 campaign, covering 2025 purchases, saw a 47 percent increase in participants compared to 2025. In 2025, nearly 34,000 canteens submitted declarations, doubling the number from the previous year. This shows a steady trend of more canteens adopting electronic reporting.Laws aim for sustainable food in canteens
The Egalim law of 2018 and the Climate law of 2021 require canteens to offer at least 50 percent of "sustainable" and "quality" products by value, including 20 percent of organic products. The electronic declaration platform helps track progress toward these goals, though enforcement remains voluntary due to no penalties.Progress toward food goals is slow
In 2025, canteens achieved 31.1 percent of sustainable and quality products, including 12.1 percent organic, according to the ministry. This is a slight improvement from 2024. School canteens, especially primary schools, are performing better, with nurseries meeting both the organic and sustainable product targets.New rules require European product sourcing
The agricultural emergency law passed this summer requires canteens to prioritize European-sourced products, with exceptions for special cases. A new decree outlines procedures for electronically declaring product origins to monitor compliance and simplify the declaration process.Canteens serve billions of meals yearly
Collective catering provides nearly 4 billion meals annually across more than 90,000 canteens in France, according to the government. The next declaration campaign, covering 2026 purchases, will run from January 13 to March 31, 2027.
