Concours Général Agricole: Awarding Excellence in Agriculture
Everything about the General Agricultural Competition
The General Agricultural Competition was first held in 1870 to select and recognise France's best regional products and breeding animals.
It is an age-old event with an eminently cutting-edge mission: to showcase the exceptional biodiversity in French breeding and gastronomy.
Discover the different categories of the Concours Général Agricole
The Concours Général Agricole is a unique springboard for local products, wines, and a showcase of French genetic excellence. For participants, taking part in the competition means gaining additional recognition from both industry peers and the general public.
It also helps raise awareness and reward the next generation of agricultural professionals.
Several contests honor outstanding students from agricultural schools — including the best young wine tasters and the most skilled livestock judges.
The General Agricultural Competition for Products and Wines
Renowned worldwide for its quality, French gastronomy is rooted in regional products and the expertise of thousands of producers. A wide array of French products competes in this contest, with 33 categories judged by professionals. From wines to cured meats and Espelette pepper, medals reward the finest wines and local specialties.
A benchmark event and a mark of quality!
Products are evaluated by a jury made up of industry professionals, including producers, culinary experts, traders, distributors, and informed consumers.
They are judged based on sensory characteristics and taste quality.
Products are grouped into several main categories, such as:
- Apéritifs
- Beers
- Cured meats
- Sauerkraut
- Ciders and perries
- Jams
- Spirits (Whisky, Gin, Armagnac, Cognac…)
- Walnut oils
- Fruit juices
- Honey and mead
- Duck and goose products
- Dairy products (butter, cream, cheese, milk, yogurt, and desserts)
- Olive oil products
- Aquaculture products (oysters, smoked trout, rillettes)
- Rums and punches
- Spices (saffron, Espelette pepper, vanilla)
- Meats
- Mistelles
- Poultry
These emblematic specialties reflect the incredible diversity of French regional products.The Wine Competition
The Wine Competition
All French wines, across all price ranges, are represented in the Concours Général Agricole. Samples are assessed by expert juries including sommeliers, oenologists, traders, producers, brokers, and informed consumers whose evaluations are recognized for their accuracy and reliability.
The wine medals awarded under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture are highly sought-after and serve as a valuable export credential. Each year, over 12,000 samples enter the competition through local pre-selections organized by regional authorities, Chambers of Agriculture, and industry unions, before reaching the finals held at the Paris International Agricultural Show.
Only 27% of wines earn a medal.
Participating wine regions include:
- Alsace
- Beaujolais
- Burgundy
- Champagne
- Corsica
- Jura
- Languedoc-Roussillon
- Loire Valley
- Lorraine
- Savoie
- Bordeaux
- South-West
- Provence
- Rhône Valley
The General Agricultural Animal Competition for young professionals
Learn more about the Concours Général Agricole for Young Professionals.
One of the missions of the Concours Général Agricole is to support the training of future agri-food professionals through 7 dedicated competitions:
- Concours de Jugement des Animaux par les Jeunes (CJAJ) – Young People’s Livestock Judging Contest
- Trophée International de l’Enseignement Agricole (TIEA) – International Trophy for Agricultural Education
- Concours des Jeunes Professionnels du Vin (CJPV) – Young Wine Professionals Competition
- Challenge Jeunes Meneurs (CJM) – Young Handlers Challenge
- Concours Jeunes Jurés des Pratiques Agro-écologiques “Prairies & Parcours” et l’Agroforesterie – Young Agroecology Jury Contest (Grasslands, Grazing & Agroforestry)
- Challenge Caprin Inter-Lycées (CCIL) – Inter-High School Goat Challenge
- Trophée Caprin Inter-Lycées (TCIL) – Inter-High School Goat Trophy
These contests provide real-life conditions to challenge the new generation preparing to enter the agri-food sector. They offer educational teams practical and structured tools to help students acquire professional skills. They also create a stimulating and unifying environment, fostering motivation, personal achievement, commitment, and pride for both learners and their institutions.
The International Trophy for Agricultural Education (TIEA)
The aim of this competition is to showcase dairy and beef cattle breeding within the educational farms of public and private agricultural schools, as well as to highlight the training efforts carried out in these institutions. It helps strengthen the link between education and professionals while promoting a modern image of the cattle farming profession.
The Young People’s Livestock Judging Contest
The principle is to evaluate young students from agricultural schools or newly established young farmers on their ability to "score" animals — including cattle, sheep, goats, and both draft and riding horses.
Participants assess the animals based on a specific set of criteria:
- Body qualities
- Build
- Muscularity
- Specific limb traits
- Leg alignment
- Gait
- Overall appearance
Objectives of the competition
- Raise awareness among young people about the importance of breeding animal morphology
- Encourage professional training initiatives led by breeding organizations, agricultural schools, technical institutes, and local livestock institutions
- Emphasize the role of conformation evaluation in animal selection and its impact on farmers’ income
After local qualifying rounds, the national finals are held in Paris during the Paris International Agricultural Show, where the top candidates are awarded trophies.
This Trophy is organized by L’Éleveur Laitier magazine, La France Agricole, and the Paris International Agricultural Show.
The Young Wine Professionals Competition
This competition highlights the wine tasting skills of future professionals in the wine industry.
Objectives
- Raise awareness among young people about the importance of tasting in their future profession
- Encourage professional training initiatives in this field
After regional pre-selections, the national final takes place during the Paris International Agricultural Show, where the best candidates are awarded trophies.
For more information, visit the Concours Général Agricole website.
The General Competition for Animals
Since 1864, the year the “Animal Competition” was created, breeders have been showcasing the very best of French livestock genetics.
The animals selected by official breeding organizations come from the most rigorous selection programs, highlighting the exceptional biodiversity of French genetics.
All breeding animals competing in the Concours Général Agricole are part of collective breeding programs approved by the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty and implemented under its supervision. This ensures their high genetic value. With genetic excellence and commercial performance guaranteed, the animals are judged on their morphology and how closely it conforms to breed standards, with particular attention paid to functional traits.
Eight animal species are represented in the Concours Général Agricole: donkeys, cattle, dogs, goats, horses, sheep, pigs, and cats.
This national competition, which also captivates the general public, features:
- 395 breeds
- 2,573 animals
- 997 award winners*
Highly anticipated each year, the animal competition is one of the highlights of the Paris International Agricultural Show. The finest specimens proudly parade in the rings, drawing the attention and admiration of an engaged audience.
*2025 edition data
Concours Général Agricole
Live from the rings
Watch the rings live!
Over the past four editions, many of you have tuned in to our live ring broadcasts — thank you for being with us!
Catch up on all the animal competition replays, as well as the International Trophy for Agricultural Education (TIEA) from the 2025 Concours Général Agricole.
