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It is a very French specialty, but the seeds essential to its manufacture come from 80%… from Canada. The extreme drought that hit there in 2021 is the main cause of the current shortage. Could Dijon mustard do without Canadian farmers? “Special Envoy” investigated his land, where a small manufacturer made the choice of local production.
Why has mustard deserted our supermarket shelves? In Beaune, in Burgundy, a small mustard factory is running at full speed. How does she do it, since seed stocks have been in short supply since Canada suffered a historic drought in the summer of 2021?
Because the country of Dijon mustard is not the leading producer of the brown mustard seeds essential for its manufacture: Canada has become the world’s largest exporter, and the mustard seed “made in France”, it covers barely 15% of the needs of the sector. The reappearance of this culture in the plains of Burgundy is already a small victory: it had completely disappeared since the 1960s.
From the “100% Burgundian” seed
“A seed imported from Canada has always cost less than a seed produced locally”, explains Marc Désarménien, general manager of the Fallot mustard factory. Despite the price difference, the seed used here is “100% Burgundian”, he assures.
This high-end manufacturer, which represents a very small part of the French market, made the choice a few years ago to “bet on the local sector, even if it means paying more”. A commitment that allows it today not to suffer from the current shortage… But to meet the needs of the entire French sector, volumes ten to fifteen times greater than Burgundy production would be needed.
Extract from “Mustard, the lack of pots”, a report to see in “Special Envoy” on September 1, 2022.
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