The Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro, said that Carrefour’s decision to stop selling meat produced in Mercosur countries “seems like an orchestrated action” that would aim to pressure the French government not to sign the agreement between the southern bloc -American and the European Union.
“It seems to me like an orchestrated action by French companies. You can’t think it’s a coincidence. 15 days ago, Danone did it. And now Carrefour. Untruely pointing out Brazilian production conditions, in a way that harms Brazilian sovereignty and affects our production, which is sustainable”, said Fávaro.
“It seems to me that they are trying to find some pretext so that France does not sign and continues to oppose the finalization of the Mercosur-European Union agreement”, added the minister.
The minister’s statement was given to journalists, this Wednesday (21), after dinner at Itamaraty in honor of Xi Jinping, president of China.
The minister also said he was “outraged” by the French supermarket chain’s decision.
“It would be more beautiful and legitimate to just maintain the position against it, but there was no need to look for an excuse in what does not exist in sustainable and exemplary Brazilian production. I would be the last to point out any defect in French production, but I am outraged when they want to do this to Brazil”, added Fávaro.
Carrefour’s decision was announced by the company’s CEO
On Wednesday, 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.
Bompard also said 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 the 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.
Brazilian agro repudiated Carrefour’s decision
Following the announcement by Carrefour’s CEO, the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (Abiec) said that “by adopting a protectionist discourse in defense of French producers, Carrefour weakens its own business and exposes the European market to supply risks, as that local production does not exceed demand.”
In a statement, the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) classified Bompard’s statements as “unfounded” and said that he “uses mistaken arguments when saying that meat produced by Mercosur member countries does not respect the criteria and standards of the French market”.
Furthermore, according to ABPA, the “argumentation is clearly used for protectionist purposes, resonating an erroneous view of local producers against the necessary balance in the supply of products from their own market”.
For the president of the National Intensive Livestock Association (Assocon), Maurício Veloso, Bompard’s decision “makes the possibility of respect for him fall to the ground”.
“He [Alexandre Bompard] is very concerned about a narrative linked to the protection of a very small nucleus of livestock producers, to the detriment of the entire French population,” Veloso told the newspaper Agro Estadão.
Also in a statement, the Brazilian Association of Angus and Ultrablack said that Bompard’s statement is “unfounded” and that it “causes serious damage to the image and reputation of Brazilian protein, produced from serious and responsible work carried out by breeders and companies of the sector. It is even more serious when it is given by an executive from a global company with extensive ties to our country”.
