Carrefour apologizes, meatpacker lifts boycott
French retail group Carrefour has apologized to Brazilian meat producers after CEO Alexandre Bompard stated last week that meat produced in Brazil did not meet European standards. On Tuesday (Nov. 26), Bompard retracted his statement, praising the quality of Brazilian meat and offering an apology.
“We know that Brazilian agriculture produces high-quality meat, respects standards, and delivers great taste. If Carrefour France's communication caused confusion or could have been interpreted as questioning our partnership with Brazilian agriculture or as criticism, we apologize,” said the president of Carrefour in a letter sent to Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro, who had questioned the group's position.
The crisis began when Bompard posted on social media a letter he had sent to French producers, promising not to use meat from Mercosur countries in French markets. The message was poorly received by Brazilian producers, who launched a movement to boycott the supply of meat to Carrefour’s markets in Brazil.
Masterboi meatpacker, which supplies between 400 and 450 tons of meat per month to Carrefour stores, told Agência Brasil that it had suspended new deliveries since the weekend. However, with the retraction, the company has authorized the resumption of deliveries. According to Carrefour, there have been no issues with the meat supply in recent days.
In a statement sent to shareholders, Carrefour Brasil said that deliveries had resumed. “The delivery schedule for beef products has been reinstated, and the company expects the replenishment of these products to normalize over the next few days,” the note reads.
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock
Brazil´s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock acknowledged the apology and highlighted the quality of Brazilian meat. “The ministry commends the efforts of the sector, the proactive leadership of associations and their members in supporting high-quality production that reaches consumers in over 160 countries worldwide,” it stated.
In a communiqué sent to Agência Brasil, the Carrefour Group stated that it already purchases nearly all of the meat sold in French markets from French producers and that this decision was aimed at supporting entrepreneurs in the European country.
"Carrefour France's decision was not intended to change the rules of a market that is well-established with its local supply chains, which cater to the regional preferences of our customers. With this decision, we aimed to reassure French farmers, who are facing a severe crisis, of our continued support and commitment to local purchases,” the group said in a statement.
