Avril is an international agro-industrial group based in France, specialising in food, animal feed, energy and sustainable chemistry.

In 1962, the Dillon Round world trade negotiations led to a massive influx of US soybeans, exempt from European customs.

[5] In 1974, a Protein Plan is launched in France under the leadership of a young farmer and unionist, Jean-Claude Sabin, backed by the public authorities.

[6] The aim of the plan was to increase the production of oilseed rape, sunflower, peas, flax and field beans through creating a chain of French vegetable oil and protein.

[8] In the 1970s, the National Syndicate of Agricultural Techniques (CNTA), a key player of the Protein Plan, became the industrial tool of the French oilseed sector.

[11] It was chaired by Jean-Claude Sabin, with general management entrusted to Philippe Tillous-Borde, an agricultural engineer specialized in industrial investments.

[12] From the beginning, the objectives of Sofiprotéol were to financially secure production for the various players in the sector and to ensure an industrial outlet for oilseeds and protein crops.

[21] During this period, Sofiprotéol augmented and extended its sector strategy by developing its work in oleochemistry, biotechnologies, animal feed, and nutrition.

In 1998, the Group took stake in Glon Sanders, a leader in the French animal feed sector and a major outlet for oilseed.

[30] With the 2010 acquisition of Expur in Romania, the Group gained a firm foothold in the oilseed production basin of Eastern Europe and the Black Sea.

Through the Green Morocco Plan, Sofiprotéol supported a strategy to develop Moroccan industries based on rapeseed, sunflower, and olive oil.

[33] The Group, which was formerly known as Sofiprotéol, became a limited partnership with share capital "société en commandite par actions" and adopted the name "Avril" in 2015.

[35] In 2016, the Group invested in a new factory, inaugurated by Manuel Valls, for the bottling and packaging of Lesieur vegetable oils in Bassens.

[38] In May 2018, Avril announced the acquisition of a majority participation in Costa d'Oro, an Italian olive oil producer (the Castel Group is taking a minority interest).

[42] The platform enables farmers and collecting organizations to market their rapeseed and sunflower seeds by rewarding farming practices that reduce [[CO2 emissions]].

In Dieppe, together with the Dutch group DSM, Avril is building a unit dedicated to the production of rapeseed proteins, which is being run by the company Prolein.

The Avril Végétal sector brings together vegetable processing activities from rapeseed and sunflower grains, as well as the sale of the resulting products.

The target being to market biofuels from the inedible parts of plants and agricultural waste (lignin, cellulose) to produce food and energy.

Institute PIVERT is the first European center developing plant chemistry based on oilseed biomass, collaborating with hundreds of researchers.

[60] Avril manufactures and markets a range of bio-based molecules from vegetable oils (rapeseed, sunflower, palm, soy, coconut).

In 2014, the group created Mixscience and Theseo, both having developed a reputation in France and abroad, around products and services for the hygiene of animal shelters, breeding material and treatment of water, air and surfaces.

This division brings together four activities: proteochemistry (renewable chemistry derived from plant oil cakes), treatment of byproducts from the food industry, transformation of organic waste into fertilizers and purchases of raw materials for third parties.

[68] -       Evertree, founded in 2016, which designs and develops alternatives to the traditional chemical intermediates generating volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Derived from rapeseed cake, the products and technologies developed by Evertree permit the design of wood composite panels that are more economical, and safe for health and more environmentally friendly.

[69] Main subsidiaries: Adonial, Terrial, Feed Alliance, Evertree Sofiprotéol assists with loans and equity investments for over a hundred companies, representing approximately 80,000 employees[70] in the agro-industry and in related sectors such as dairy processing.

[1] Avril Group is a limited partnership with share capital (SCA) comprising two categories of partners: By adopting the status of a limited partnership with share capital (SCA), historical shareholders of Sofiprotéol, the oilseed producers intend to remain at the heart of the project led by Avril.

The executive committee consists of 9 other members:[78] Avril Group is committed to pay 35% of its dividends[79] to a foundation bearing its name and recognized as a public service by decree on 11 December 2014.