The directors of agricultural co-operatives must be French nationals, or nationals of an EEA Member State, or nationals of a country with which France has a reciprocity agreement, unless an exemption has been granted by the Minister for Agriculture.
"Article L529-2
Any director of an agricultural cooperative society or any representative of such a company on the board of directors of a union of cooperatives is punished by a fine of 18,000 euros:
1° Who has neither French nationality, nor that of a Member State of the European Economic Community, nor that of a country with which there is a reciprocity agreement or which does not benefit from a derogation granted by the Minister agriculture; [...]
The preceding provisions are applicable to members of the supervisory boards of agricultural cooperative societies or their unions.
[...]
Article R524-1
The number of directors is fixed by the articles of association. This number, which may be fixed or included in a range, may not be less than three for cooperatives and two for unions.
To be eligible, the directors must meet the conditions set out in article L. 529-2.
The directors, chosen from among the cooperative members, are elected by the general assembly by a majority of the votes cast.
The election of the members of the board of directors takes place by secret ballot when the board of directors so decides or when it is requested before the general meeting or during it by one or more cooperative members.
The provisions of Articles L. 524-2 and L. 529-2 apply to natural persons representing legal persons sitting on the board of directors or on the supervisory board of the agricultural cooperative or of the union.[...]" (Rural and Maritime Fisheries Code, last amended by Law n°2020-1508 of 3 December 2020, Articles L529-2 and R524-1 [google translation])
Rural and Maritime Fisheries Code, last amended by Law n°2020-1508 of 3 December 2020, Articles L529-2 and R524-1
[<a href="https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/texte_lc/LEGITEXT000006071367/2021-08-11">Code</a>]