The dehydrated alfalfa industry in France: the history of its cooperative structure, challenges and development prospects.

This article presents a historical perspective on the structuring of the dehydrated alfalfa sector to address the challenges of protein sovereignty and sustainability. Dehydration is a preservation technique for alfalfa developed in the 1950s to maintain the plant's intrinsic nutritional qualities. Today, in France, nearly 456,000 hectares of alfalfa are cultivated, with about 20% destined for dehydration in predominantly cereal-growing regions. Most of the alfalfa acreage is intended for self-consumption in livestock regions. The diversified products of dehydration are mainly aimed at the animal feed markets in France and neighboring countries. The sector is structured around 10 cooperatives that operate dehydration with 24 factories. All these cooperatives are members of La Coopération Agricole-Luzerne de France, which represents them at the national and European levels, pooling regulatory engineering, communication, and R&D. Its structuring has addressed various sustainability challenges: it has reduced its GHG emissions by 95% since 2005 through the decarbonization of drying. The sector now aims, within the framework of the opening of operational programs to plant proteins, to strengthen protein autonomy in France and Europe, while improving the competitiveness and remuneration of its producers.