The sunflower oil market - France

France is a major player on the world market. In 2021, it is Europe's leading producer of sunflower oil , accounting for 20% of total EU production, just ahead of Hungary(18%), Spain(16%), Romania(14%) and Bulgaria(10%). The following year, in 2022, France exported over 313 million euros worth of sunflower oil, while importing over 318 million euros . That same year, France was the world's 5th largest producer of sunflower oil, behind Turkey and ahead of Hungary and Spain. France has around 700,000 hectares dedicated to sunflower oil cultivation [Atlas Big]. In France, the Avril Group's Lesieur brand accounts for a quarter of sunflower oil sales in supermarkets, while private labels account for half. On a global scale, Ukraine accounts for 50% of sunflower oil exports, a product that accounts for half of Ukrainian exports to France. Since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in February 2022, the supply chain has been particularly disrupted. Recent events have led to a shortage of sunflower oil in Europe, and soaring market prices. To alleviate these problems, food manufacturers are substituting the product, notably with rapeseed oil. The French government has authorized companies to change their recipes without modifying their labels, making their task easier, and the same request has been accepted by the cosmetics industry.