HVE* certification

A recognized certification highlighting farms committed to the High Environmental Value approach.

What is HVE*

The term HVE stands for *Haute Valeur Environnementale* (High Environmental Value).

It is a farm certification overseen by French public authorities, which a farmer can obtain when their entire farm meets a set of specifications defined around several themes, notably:

– consideration of biodiversity in farm management;
– practices regarding the management of farm inputs and resources.

HVE certification attests that the farm complies with the requirements defined by this official standard.

A growing number of HVE*-certified farms

As of 1st July 2021, 19,216 farms were certified as “High Environmental Value”, an increase of 134% compared to 2019 (Ministry of Agriculture, 2021).

And this is set to accelerate, with a government target of 50,000 HVE*-certified farms by 2023 (Ministry of Agriculture, 2021).

How do you identify products from HVE*-certified farms?

The logo “Issu d’une exploitation Haute Valeur Environnementale“ (“Produced in a High Environmental Value farm”) helps consumers identify products whose agricultural raw materials come from these environmentally-friendly farms.

HVE*-certified products and EGalim law

The start of 2022 marked the implementation of measures derived from the EGalim law, whose full name is the “law to balance commercial relations between the farming and food sectors and for long term, healthy and accessible food“, and which came into force in 2018.

These new measures have a major impact on purchases for operators in the mass catering sector. In fact, the EGalim law requires 50% quality, sustainable products, including 20% organic products.

This obligation can be fulfilled by using products bearing official signs of identification of quality and origin (SIQO), or products with added value labels such as “produced in a High Environmental Value farm” (HVE).