The General Director of Carrefour SA, Alexandre Bompard, has announced that he will publicly apologize to the Brazilian Government to soften the controversy raised by the supermarket after declaring that it would not supply South American beef to its French customers.
Alexandre Bompard, general director of Carrefour SA, has agreed to present a public apology to the Government of Brazilwith the hope of settling the controversy created by the supermarket chain’s commitment not to sell South American beef in France, according to ‘Bloomberg’.
In a publication on the X network, Bompard stated on November 20: “In solidarity with the agricultural world, Carrefour undertakes not to sell meat from Mercosur. This is the meaning of my message to the presidents of the agricultural unions.
To solve this diplomatic mess, the French ambassador Emmanuel Lenain has arranged a meeting with Carlos Fávaro, Brazilian Minister of Agricultureto present these apologies and insist on the quality of Brazilian meat.
In this tweet on the X network from Tuesday, November 26, the Carrefour Group issued a note recognizing the “high quality” of meat from Brazilian slaughterhouses. Minister Fávaro reported that he formally received a signed letter apologizing. Carrefour is then expected to issue a statement in both Brazil and France.
Carrefour’s controversial support for French farmers that has angered Brazil
This occurs following Carrefour’s support for French farmers’ protests against a trade agreement between the European Union and the South American bloc Mercosur, which has provoked a strong reaction in Brazil, including the refusal to supply beef to Carrefour stores in Brazil.
Bompard announced last week on social media that the French company would stop buying beef from all Mercosur countries, which also includes Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Bompard wrote that he agrees with the French producers’ arguments that Mercosur beef is an unfair competitor due to lower production costs resulting from fewer environmental and health requirements.
Fávaro calls the measure protectionist
Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry Fávaro called Bompard’s measure protectionist, saying it was done “without any technical criteria.” The decision also angered Brazilian meat processing companies. Although France only represents a small percentage of Brazilian exports of beef, meatpackers fear that Carrefour’s decision will harm their reputation in other markets.
The beef giants JBS and Marfrig last Friday they interrupted supplies to Carrefour’s extensive supermarket chain in Brazil, including the food warehouse giant Atacadao. Both companies declined to comment on the boycott. to The Associated Press agency, but the Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro, confirmed it.
Marfrig works on traceability in Brazilian livestock farming for a more sustainable future and is investing in solutions to meet the demands of the international market, after, as indicated in this publication on the X network, at a time of Tension with Carrefour France over accusations of lack of traceability of national beef.
“We support the reaction of the meatpackers. If beef from Brazil is not good enough for the shelves of Carrefour in France, Nor is it for the shelves of Carrefour in Brazil“Fávaro declared to the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo on Monday.
Carrefour Brazil recognizes the boycott and seeks to resume supply
The Group Carrefour Brazil recognized the boycott in a statementalthough he stated that there is still no shortage of beef in stores. He said he has “esteem and confidence in the Brazilian agricultural sector, with which he maintains a solid relationship and partnership.”
“Unfortunately, the decision of Suspending meat supplies has an impact on customersespecially in those who trust the company to supply their homes with quality and responsible products,” the statement says. “It is in constant dialogue in search of solutions that allow resume supplying meat to its stores as soon as possiblerespecting the commitments it has with its more than 130,000 Brazilian employees and millions of Brazilian customers throughout the country.”
French farmers are choking on the EU-Mercosur agreement
The backdrop to the conflict is the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, which would increase agricultural imports to EU countries coming from South America. French farmers fear it will affect their livelihoods. An initial agreement was reached in 2019, but negotiations have faltered since then due to opposition that also includes some European governments.
The Brazilian agroindustrial sector also fears that European Union deforestation regulationspending approval, ban the sale of forest-derived products within the 27-nation EU bloc if companies cannot demonstrate that their products are not linked to deforestation.
Tension on soybean and livestock exports
Its scope includes soybeans and livestock, Brazil’s main agricultural exports. Almost half of the The country’s cattle are raised in the Amazon regionwhere 90% of land deforested since 1985 has been converted to pasture, according to MapBiomas, a nonprofit network. The date of its application remains uncertain.
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