French group, owner of the Intermarché and Netto chains, follows Carrefour’s initiative and justifies the measure as support for local agriculture
The French retail group announced that its supermarket chains, Intermarché and Netto, will suspend the sale of meat from South America. The group’s CEO, Thierry Cotillard, stated that the decision aims to strengthen France’s food sovereignty and support local farmers . The measure follows in the footsteps of , which adopted a similar position on Wednesday (Nov 20).
The initiative, however, is broader. While Carrefour committed not to sell “beef” of Mercosur —without mentioning poultry or pork— and limited the restriction to the bloc’s countries, Les Mousquetaires extended the boycott to all of South America and will also include processed products from its own brands.
Cotillard also asked French industries to adopt the same stance, demonstrating “commitment and transparency about the origin of raw materials”.
The CEO of Carrefour in France, Alexandre Bompard, defended his chain’s decision in an address to the president of the FNSEA (National Federation of French Farmers’ Unions) on Wednesday (Nov 21). According to him, South American products do not meet French standards, causing concern among local producers. Bompard also encouraged other agents in the agri-food sector to join the boycott.
The decision exclusively affects Carrefour’s operations in France; other units of the chain around the world will continue to sell South American meat.
The boycott is yet another indication of the difficulties in ratifying the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, criticized by European farmers who fear competition with more competitive South American products.
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