On 1 October 2026, the general meeting ofUsipa (Union of the Starch Products and Derivatives Industry Associations), giving industry professionals the opportunity to celebrate the organization’s 80th anniversary. The sector’s figures for 2025 were unveiled at the event. Following a 21% drop in the revenue of theFrench starch industry accused in 2024, the downward trend continues in 2025, with a decline of 6,5% to 2,9 billion euros, “below the three-billion-euro mark,” says Mariane Flamary, general delegate of Usipa.
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Raw material use by the starch industry down in 2025
During the year 2025, 5 million tonnes of raw materials (wheat, corn, potatoes) were processed by the starch industry, compared with 5,1 million tonnes in 2024, a decrease of 2,4%. Among them in 2025, there are 2,7 Mt of wheat and 1,6 Mt of corn. “Our sector remains one of the preferred partners of French agriculture, with 97% of the raw materials used being of French origin », says Mariane Flamary.
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Corn imports to offset the drop in the harvest by 2026?
However, this year's disastrous maize harvest is worrying the starch industry. Many operators currently expect it to be below 7 Mt, down 45% year on year. “And this is while the potato harvest is down by 2 Mt and the wheat yields of 4%, even if the decline is smaller” says Mariane Flamary. “Industrial equipment is dedicated either to corn or to wheat, which limits any substitution of raw materials”, recalls Marie-Laure Empinet, External Relations Manager at Roquette and Vice-President of Usipa.
While it is too early to announce any potential product reformulations, pending the European harvest figures, an increase in the imports according to professionals. “In the European Union, several countries are affected by the decline in corn production and there will be demand for this raw material ,” worries Marie-Laure Empinet. In addition, users of wheat starch and corn starch are different; pharmaceutical specifications, for example, require corn starch, according to this member of the Usipa board. Will we be able to count on the Ukrainian corn ? If Ukraine does indeed have non-GMO corn, logistical problems at the ports of departure make it difficult to anticipate the supplies.
Read also: Maize: the 2026 harvest confirms the European Union’s growing dependence on imports
Consumption shows no sign of recovery
“The consumption general never restarted after the war in Ukraine ,” recalls Kristell Guizouarn, president of Usipa (Tereos). This affected the outlets for the French starch industry, whether on the domestic or European market. In France, the distribution of food outlets remained broadly the same from one year to the next, with the exception of uses in infant formula, which accounted for 26 % of the French starch industry’s food outlets in 2025 compared with 39 % in 2024. These declined in volume as a result of the falling birth rate.
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Among non-food uses (41% of volumes in 2025), the outlet for the paper industry is experiencing a downward trend due to international competition and the closure of industrial sites in France. The chemicals and pharmaceuticals sector is taking over, however (28,5% of non-food uses of starch on the domestic market, compared with 22% in 2024). The cosmetics and construction sectors represent promising outlets because they are seeking products to replace fossil raw materials. “Volumes for these outlets remain low for now” , notes the general delegate of Usipa.
What place do French starch producers hold in the global and European markets?
If French starch imports remain limited (2,7 million euros in 2025 compared with 2,9 billion in revenue for the French industry), the sector is concerned about their upward trend. They have indeed increased by 55% between 2020 and 2025.
On the export side, the revenue of the French starch industry still accounts for 71% of the sector’s total revenue, but it is declining, as are volumes. “French starch producers remain the leading players in the European market, accounting for 30% of market share ,” notes Mariane Flamary. In third countries, a slight decline in revenue can be observed. “We are increasingly under attack in our traditional markets ,” says Mariane Flamary.
The cost of energy in Europe puts the sector at a disadvantage in international markets
“ The energy cost is the EU’s Achilles’ heel,” says Usipa’s managing director. According to the organization, it has never returned to its pre-crisis level, even though it accounts for 25 % of the cost structure for starch industries. By way of comparison, it would rise to 70 €/MWh in the EU, compared with 20 €/MWh in China and 15 €/MWh in the United States.
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The cost of compliance and decarbonization weighs on French starch industry manufacturers
According to Usipa, the sector has met its commitments on decrease in CO2 emissions, but “only at the cost of hundreds of millions of euros in investment, while we are still halfway through meeting the European Union’s requirements ,” according to Mariane Flamary. The organization once again raised the issue of wastewater recycling, which is prohibited in France but not by the European Union.
In addition, “the assessment of normative costs is not carried out, and this gives rise to distortions of competition including in the European Union”, still according to Usipa’s chief executive. The organization views thefree trade agreement with Thailand in preparation: the country is the world's leading producer of cassava starch, a product very similar to corn starches and potatoes. “It is unacceptable for further sacrifices to be made on our products,” the Usipa representative asserts.
