The responsible purchasing market in France

In France, Loi n° 2017-399 of 27 March 2017 on the duty of vigilance requires a vigilance plan from companies with at least 5,000 employees including French subsidiaries, or 10,000 employees counting foreign subsidiaries. The plan covers risks linked to subcontractors and suppliers. On top of this comes sustainability reporting under the European CSRD directive (directive (EU) 2022/2464), which pushes large companies to document responsible purchasing practices across their value chain.

Article 35 of Loi n° 2021-1104 of 22 August 2021, known as Climat et résilience (the French Climate and Resilience law), amends the code de la commande publique (French public procurement code): at least one award criterion must take into account the environmental characteristics of the bid, and contract performance conditions must include the environment. These rules apply at the latest five years after promulgation, that is August 2026. The responsible purchasing promotion scheme took effect on 1 January 2023, according to Légifrance (the French official legal portal).

The Relations fournisseurs et achats responsables (RFAR) label is the only label awarded by French public authorities for responsible purchasing, according to the Conseil national des achats (CNA, the French national purchasing council). It extends the RFAR charter created in 2010 with the Médiateur des entreprises (the French business mediator), which has 10 commitments. Based on the ISO 20400:2017 standard, its framework comprises 58 objectives, including 13 major points, across 4 axes. The label is awarded for 3 years, with an annual check by an approved assessor.

In France, the Médiateur des entreprises and the Conseil national des achats run the RFAR charter and label, whose approved assessors include AFNOR, Bureau Veritas and SGS. EcoVadis claims more than 175,000 companies assessed in more than 180 countries. On the buyer side, Malongo buys nearly 70% of its coffee as fair trade according to Le Journal des entreprises (April 2026), and Elior France favours local and fair-trade supply chains, according to Restauration collective.

In France, responsible purchasing is progressing unevenly. According to a 2025 study by Unite and the Institut JARO, relayed by the Conseil national des achats in December 2025, nearly half of the companies surveyed have a supplier code of conduct. Hiring is also slowing: according to Supply Chain Magazine (March 2026), citing Robert Walters, job offers for purchasing and supply chain managers fell by 23% between 2024 and 2025.

A PDF report in French, 2026 edition, organised in six chapters: definition and scope of responsible purchasing, market size and dynamics, demand from companies and public buyers, supply and players, the regulatory framework, and outlook.

Texts published by Légifrance, data from Commerce Équitable France, the European Commission and the Conseil national des achats, and trade press articles from the IndexPresse database. Every figure comes with its source and period.

Yes. The study is updated before it is sent, within 48 hours at most: it includes the latest published data, and every figure comes with its source and period.

Procurement and CSR departments, suppliers responding to major accounts and public buyers, consulting, audit and CSR assessment firms, and investors and bankers who need to understand the responsible purchasing market in France.

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