According to a new sector overview from FranceAgriMer, the country is now playing a central role in supplying hemp materials across Europe.
For years, France’s hemp industry was mostly self-contained, focused on converting the plant into fiber, hurd, and seed within national supply chains. Exports were almost nonexistent until recently, totaling just 415 metric tons in the 2021 to 2022 marketing year, with most shipments going to Canada.
That changed dramatically in 2022 and 2023. Exports surged to nearly 48,000 metric tons in 2023 to 2024 and have remained at similar levels since. Today, around 72 percent of French hemp exports go to European Union countries, reinforcing France’s position as a key upstream supplier for the continent’s industrial hemp sector.
France is widely regarded as Europe’s dominant hemp producer and, according to FranceAgriMer, the world’s second largest after China. It accounts for more than half of EU hemp cultivation, far ahead of competitors such as Germany and the Netherlands.
In 2024, France cultivated about 22,600 hectares of hemp across roughly 1,550 growers. Production reached around 140,000 metric tons of processed straw and 11,000 metric tons of seed. The industry is supported by seven main processing facilities, most of them concentrated in northern France.
One of the strongest regional hubs is Grand Est in northeastern France, which alone accounts for nearly half of the country’s hemp acreage. This region has seen rapid growth in cultivation since 2019, alongside a steady expansion of organic hemp farming, which grew from under 100 hectares in 2015 to around 1,500 hectares by 2022.
Despite this growth, Europe still lacks fully consistent reporting standards for hemp production, making cross-country comparisons difficult. Some estimates suggest that leading European producers collectively manage around 36,000 to 38,000 hectares of hemp, but data remains fragmented.
France’s long-established hemp industry is built on structured cooperatives, certified seed production, and a strong focus on fiber and grain markets. French breeding programs have emphasized high-yield, low-THC varieties, with fiber yields typically reaching six to eight tons per hectare and grain yields averaging about one ton per hectare.
What sets France apart is how it uses nearly every part of the plant. Hempseed is processed into food products, oils, protein ingredients, and even animal feed. The woody core, known as hurd, is used for animal bedding, construction materials, and landscaping products. Fiber is directed into paper, insulation, textiles, and composite materials, while even the smallest residues are used for energy production or composting.
Economically, the industry is uneven but efficient. Hurd makes up the largest share of output by weight, but fiber generates the highest value, accounting for about half of total economic return despite representing less than a third of production volume.
This has pushed France toward higher value applications such as construction materials, advanced composites, and textile innovation. Meanwhile, flowers and extracts remain a minor segment of the industry, primarily linked to pharmaceutical and cosmetic uses, and increasingly separated from the industrial hemp supply chain.
Industry coordination is led by InterChanvre, which brings together growers, processors, and research bodies. Since 2024, it has formally excluded flowers from its scope, reinforcing the country’s focus on industrial rather than cannabinoid hemp.
The sector is further supported by organizations such as the National Federation of Hemp Producers, technical institutes, seed cooperatives, and research groups including INRAE and Fibres Recherche Développement.
Together, this tightly linked system of cultivation, processing, and research has allowed France to operate not just as a major producer, but as one of Europe’s most integrated and influential hemp industries.
Photo by filadendron from Getty Images Signature
