Discussions with farmers to announce animated

After the operation "Better living bio at 1 euro" initiated in may by Auchan, which offers a range of food products for everyday its trademark use, until the end of the year, Leclerc launched in turn in the price of the bio war by opening a website on the model of his quiestlemoinscher site. Since more than a month now, it compares prices of over 300 organic products in 8 national signs and reviews 6 brands in 15 national signs to find generally... Leclerc is the least expensive. Large distribution professionals to are declared war on the bio RADIUS, remained in expansion despite the crisis. A RADIUS that they treat now as any other "business" with constitution of range of label and call prices to inflate sales volumes. Was such that the officials of the National Federation of organic agriculture requested a ceasefire early in the week: "If the commercial battle is primarily a commercial operation, it relies on mechanisms already suffered by farmers who may have a destructive impact on the bio sector.".

No one disputes, the boom of organic products in France is concomitant with the entry into force of the large food areas, who have helped make them popular. They went nearly 40 of market share in 2005 to 45 end 2009. Organic specialty stores network are more than 26 of sales and 12 independent stores. According to the latest figures of the French Agency for the development of organic agriculture, sales reached EUR 3 billion against 1.6 billion in 2005. This segment represents 1.9 of the total food market against 1.1 in 2005. The organic market is estimated at EUR 3 billion. Remember that the objectives of the Grenelle of the environment provide 6 of the French agricultural production in 2012 and 20 by 2020, compared to 2 currently.

It is the first bio bread ball which had marked the spirits by Carrefour launched mid-1990s. Even the specialists of the "hard discount" are set, Leader Price has created a range of about 40 organic products packaged in an attractive green. A hyper Auchan offers today on average 800 bio products and action Bio line, developed by Carrefour, account 500 references in food. In France, sales of milk, vegetables and organic eggs have more than doubled. But this development was accompanied by a boom in imports, which accounted for end 2009 38 of the value of the consumed products. Sure, 30 are exotic and 30 related to productions for which the France has no particular asset (citrus, soy, etc.), but 40 are cereals, milk, meat of pork, fruit and vegetables pushed in Poland, Italy, or even in Egypt. "This is called bio, but we are not the same values", was he excited Claude Gruffat, leader of the organic food distribution in France with more than 320 stores and a turnover of 450 million in 2009, up 15 from 2008.

Friction with the producers

With 6,000 references, the cooperative defends a model of proximity and work in the long term with the producers, which some have even entered in the co-op in 2006. He created logo "Together for more than sense", allowing identification of dairy products, cereals, fruit and vegetables, meat, from partnerships. In the same line, Dominique Marion, of the National Federation of organic agriculture, says group 70 of French organic farmers, begins to celebrate the major French distributors to fight on the bio, "because it means that the bio takes place". But he refused any "biologize" products and defends the recent initiative to create a new label "Organic coherence", while Europe has decided to apply from July 1 on all the articles a sheet composed from twelve little stars. The label guarantees that the producer complies with not only the book charges European, regarded as a basement, but other more demanding commitments also: zero GMOs (against 0.9 maximum in bio labels European and AB), obligation to the farm to be 100 bio, etc.

In this context of friction with the producers, large distribution reflects at this time to the creation of a fund the conversion of the farmers. The idea, launched by Carrefour in the Office of the President of the Republic during the discussions on the rear margins, would allow each of the Fund. Hub proposes EUR 10 million. Discussions with farmers to announce animated.