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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.