Carrefour’s opposition to an EU-wide free trade deal with the Mercosur trading bloc and the prospect of a surge in meat imports has kicked off a backlash in Brazil.
Alexandre Bompard, the CEO of the French giant, has come out in support of protesting French farmers and the wider local agriculture sector, issuing a letter on LinkedIn last week pledging not to source meat from the trading group.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron is also opposed to an EU free trade deal under the terms still being negotiated, with his and Bompard’s concerns centred on maintaining quality standards on French produce, particularly meat. And protecting French farmers from the prospect of cheap imports.
Food retailer Les Mousquetaires, which owns the Intermarché and Netto stores, has also joined the opposition camp to a trade deal, taking the same stance as its Carrefour peer to not sell meat from “South American countries”.
France’s objections have generated a response in Brazil, home to meat giants such as JBS and Marfrig Global Foods, and one of the countries making up the Mercosur bloc, along with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Amid the boycott by Carrefour in France, Brazilian industry groups have threatened to stop supplying stores with meat in their home markets.
The country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) said in a statement that it “reiterates the quality and commitment of Brazilian agriculture to legislation and good agricultural practices, in line with international guidelines”.
It therefore “rejects the statements made by Carrefour CEO Alexandre Bompard regarding meat produced by Mercosur countries”.
“Attempts to tarnish” Brazil
Mapa said in a statement it “will not accept vain attempts to tarnish or belittle the recognised quality and safety of Brazilian products and its environmental commitments”.
It added: “Once again, Mapa reiterates the commitment of Brazilian agriculture to the quality, health and sustainability of food produced in Brazil to contribute to food and nutritional security throughout the world.”
Similarly, the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (ABIEC) has also voiced its concerns over Bompard’s comments, issuing a statement in conjunction with five other local bodies, including the Brazilian Animal Protein Association and the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil.
In a joint statement directly addressing the Carrefour CEO’s comments, the group said it would like to “express their repudiation of the attacks against agricultural production in Mercosur”.
Reports have emerged that some meat packers in Brazil have now chosen not to supply local Carrefour stores as a counter to Bompard’s pledges in France.
Marfrig declined to comment on the matter when contacted by Just Food, while Minerva has yet to respond. However, a person with knowledge of the proceedings said JBS suspended meat supplies to Carrefour stores in Brazil last Thursday (21 November).
Outside France
The group led by ABIEC added: “If the global CEO of the Carrefour Group, Alexandre Bompard, understands that Mercosur is not a supplier worthy of the French market – which is no different from the Spanish, Belgian, Arab, Turkish and Italian markets – the undersigned entities consider that, if it is not suitable for supplying Carrefour in the French market, it is not suitable for supplying Carrefour in any other country.”
In his LinkedIn post, Bompard had stated: “In solidarity with the agricultural world, Carrefour is committed to not marketing any meat from Mercosur. This is the meaning of my message to the presidents of the agricultural unions.”
Translated from French, he added in his letter: “Throughout France, we hear the dismay and anger of farmers faced with the draft agreement on the French market for meat production that does not respect its requirements and standards.
“We hope to inspire other players in the agri-food sector and give impetus to a broader movement of solidarity, beyond even the distribution sector alone, which is already at the forefront of the fight in favour of the French origin of the meat it sells.”
Meanwhile, Les Mousquetaires said it “is committed to not selling beef, pork and poultry from South American countries” across all of its stores in France.
“In addition, the group is committed to eventually eliminating meat from Mercosur countries in the processed dishes of its own brands. Work is currently underway to develop the supply chain for these raw materials.”
An EU-Mercosur free trade deal has been dogged by delays since talks first started in 1999. After a breakdown in negotiations, discussions restarted in 2010 and gained new impetus six years later with refreshed offers to cut tariffs across a range of goods and services.
In 2019, a “political agreement for an ambitious, balanced and comprehensive trade agreement” was reached but a final deal has yet to be nailed down, culminating in the latest talks in Brazil this month.
