Document type: Consulting engagement Document type: No. 24115 published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-Food, and Food Sovereignty
Authors: Bellemain, Arnaud Martrenchar
Summary: The FRCAW established in 2017 pursuant to a provision of the 2014 Law on the Future of Agriculture. Its funding is provided by its member organizations, foremost among which is INRAe, which serves as the center’s legal entity, and through annual financial agreements with the Ministry of Agriculture. When it came time to renew the founding agreement, the Ministry sought an assessment of the work accomplished and proposals for, if necessary, evolving the structure so that it better addresses current challenges and the expectations of its various target audiences.
The task force reviewed the FRCAW various outputs FRCAW 2017 and consulted with more than forty organizations: the overseeing authority, member organizations of the Center (through their management and representatives at FRCAW), the permanent staff, professional organizations (farm animals and companion animals, the veterinary profession), animal welfare associations, etc.
The FRCAW established by a framework agreement, initially for a five-year term (2017–2021), which was renewed in 2022 (2022–2026).
Its primary mission is to provide scientific and technical support to the Ministry of Agriculture for the development of public policies, as well as to all professional stakeholders, particularly breeders. It contributes to the dissemination of information through resource platforms and a newsletter. It has also been designated as the expert body for the Observatory for the Protection of Domestic Carnivores (OCAD), established in 2021. It also maintains ties with the European Union reference centers for BEA and the national reference centers of six other Member States.
Lacking legal personality, the FRCAW managed by INRAe. Its funding comes from its members and an annual grant from the Ministry of Agriculture (€246,500 in 2024). In 2025, the permanent staff consisted of two INRAe employees and four individuals on fixed-term contracts. A network of experts is mobilized based on the referrals received.
In 2025, the Center had reached a certain level of maturity. The permanent staff and member representatives on the steering committee are highly engaged and generally satisfied with the work accomplished.
As for the target audiences, perceptions of the FRCAW relevance FRCAW greatly depending on who is asked.
The Center provides indispensable scientific support for the DGAL, which nevertheless has a critical need for technical and economic expertise (feasibility, impacts, etc.) to complement the animal-centered expertise currently produced. For animal welfare organizations, it is a valuable reference tool. Conversely, professional agricultural organizations criticize an animal-centered approach which, coupled with a lack of understanding of economic and technical realities, leads to opinions that are disconnected from the field, useless, and even harmful due to the errors they convey.
The report proposes renewing the FRCAW its conventional form while making recommendations to reform its governance and operations: revising strategic management, replacing the advisory committee with informational meetings, redeploying staff, securing the long-term employment of certain personnel through long-term scientific assignment contracts, etc.
It is also recommended that an independent unit be created within the CNR-BEA dedicated to assessing the impacts of certain measures resulting from animal-centered opinions. Finally, it is essential to sincerely restore trust with professional organizations.
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