Organic farming and its products represent a dynamic and buoyant sector of the economy, one that has doubled in size over the last five years. It is also an industry that creates jobs across the country as a whole, with an average of 50% more jobs on organic holdings than is generally the case on French farms. It is an environmentally friendly method of production with high standards for animal welfare, one that contributes to the preservation of water quality, the maintenance of soil fertility and the conservation, restoration, reinforcement and leveraging of biodiversity, all of which are major issues for agriculture both today and tomorrow. Reflecting the diversity of French agriculture, organic farming contributes to the development of the regions. It offers concrete possibilities for closer societal ties between farmers, agrifood industry actors, citizens and consumers. It is based on human scale enterprises which, as far back as we can go, have developed products that are innovative and which help strengthen the territorial coverage. The foundations of organic farming have been translated into strict rules rules about production methods and controls that provide guarantees both to consumers and all operators in the sector. However, at every stage in supply chains there are cultural, technical and economic barriers to the development of organic farming that need to be removed if supply and demand are to develop as harmoniously as possible. In a context in which dietary criteria are changing, especially with the growing interest in local products and nutritional quality, the importance of organic farming as a pioneer in these domains deserves ever-greater recognition. The development of consumption of organic products will inspire greater confidence in farmers and other market operators and I welcome their commitment. It is the core task of this programme to confront those challenges and inject new energy into the development and structuring of the organic sector.