The CEO of Carrefour, Alexandre Bompard, published a statement on his social networks in which he committed to the French supermarket chain not selling any meat from Mercosur in its units in France.
The restriction on Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay comes amid a wave of protests by French farmers against the proposed free trade agreement between the European Union and the South American bloc.
The statement, published in full on Instagram, X and LinkedIn, is addressed to Arnaud Rousseau, president of the French union FNSEA, which stands for National Federation of Agricultural Operators’ Unions.
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In the letter, Bompard says that the agreement would bring the “risk of meat production that does not meet its requirements and standards spreading across the French market” and that “at Carrefour, we are ready, whatever the price and quantity of meat that Mercosur will offer us”.
The CEO adds that he hopes the measure will “inspire” other companies in the agri-food sector in solidarity with farmers, especially those in the dining out sector, where more than 30% of meat consumption in France is recorded, of which, of this total, 60% is imported.
In Brazil, the company reported that the decision announced by the CEO of Carrefour in France has no relation to the operation of the Carrefour Brasil Group: “The Carrefour Brasil Group informs that nothing changes in operations in the country”.
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock rejects statement by Carrefour CEO
In a statement, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) rejected the statements made by Carrefour CEO, Alexandre Bompard, regarding meat produced by Mercosur countries. The ministry also regretted the stance that, “for protectionist reasons, negatively influences the understanding of consumers without any technical criteria that justify such statements”.
Mapa reiterated that the quality and commitment of Brazilian agriculture to legislation and good agricultural practices are in line with international guidelines.
The Ministry also reinforced that it has one of the strictest environmental laws in the world and operates with transparency in the sector, having presented to the European Union proposals for traceable and transparent production models, which were approved by European markets.
“As far as Brazil is concerned, Mapa’s rigorous Agricultural Defense system guarantees the country the position of largest exporter of beef and poultry in the world, maintaining trade relations with approximately 160 countries, meeting the most rigorous standards, including for European Union that purchases and certifies, through its health authorities, the quality and health of meat produced in Brazil for more than 40 years”, says the text.
