Oxidation of furfural in a stream of oxygen in aqueous alkaline medium in the presence of a lead-platinum catalyst leads to the formation of furan 2-carboxylic acid. The influence of five factors was studied using a Doehlert matrix. The analysis of the areas of responses allowed the optimal operating conditions to be determined : platinum metal mass/furfural mass introduced x 100 : 1.7%; lead diacetate mass/platinum on carbon mass : 20%; initial furfural concentration 0.8 M; temperature 55 degrees C. After 1 h of reaction, the whole of the furfural is then selectively transformed into furoic acid.