The hazelnut market - France

The global hazelnut market witnessed a strong growth in 2019, as it is estimated to grow at a rate of 33.3% over 2018. Turkish domination of the hazelnut market is both a threat and an opportunity for French producers, who have been active since the 1970s in Aquitaine. In fact, hazelnuts are very sensitive to weather conditions and a major frost episode in 2014 reduced the Turkish harvest by 40%, leaving room for other players Although Turkish production has recovered its former level, some competition is starting to appear. Knowing that the South-West of France has an ideal climate for the cultivation of hazelnuts and given that Europe is the largest consumer in the world, France has a real card to play in this quasi-monopolistic market. The French hazelnut production market is mainly based on one major player, Unicoque, which accounts for almost 95% of production. As with much of the agricultural sector, organic supply is also making inroads into the hazelnut market in France, as organic spreads grew by 19% in 2020 compared to 2019, with hazelnuts being the main raw material for spreads