3. The food industry, a major player in the French economy

Over the years, the French food industry has become a major player in the French industrial economy. With sales of close to €180 billion (excluding beverages), including the 11,595 companies and craftsmen involved in food production (figure 5 ), it is now France's leading industrial sector in terms of employment, sales and added value (Insee). The agrifood industry (NAF 10 + NAF 11) employs over 461,000 people, i.e. around 10% of the total workforce in the industrial sector. Its economic weight gives it a highly structuring dimension on agricultural activities: it is estimated that over 2 million agricultural and para-agricultural jobs depend on the agri-food sector.