The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Carlos Fávaro, declared support for the movement of associations of animal protein producers and Brazilian agribusiness entities that suggest a boycott in repudiation of the decision of the retail chain Carrefour, in France, to suspend the sale of meat from from Mercosur countries in stores in the European country. 
Mercosur is the economic bloc formed by Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. The announcement of the veto was made on Wednesday (20) by the company’s global CEO, Alexandre Bompard, in a letter to Arnaud Rousseau, president of the National Federation of Agricultural Operators’ Unions in France, and published on social media.
On the same day, the Map published note in which he rejected Carrefour’s decision and reaffirmed the quality of meat produced in Brazil. Then, sector entities, including the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (Abiec), the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), the National Confederation of Agriculture (CNA), the Brazilian Agribusiness Association (Abag), the Society Brazilian Rural (SRB) and the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp), also released a note of repudiation and suggested the possibility of completely boycott meat supply to the Carrefour Group in Brazil. This is because Carrefour itself had released note informing that the company’s veto would only apply to stores in France, due to the crisis experienced by rural producers in the country, but would not apply to units in Brazil and Argentina, as well as other countries where the chain operates as a franchise.
“We are surprised by the local presidency [do Carrefour]here in Brazil, say ‘we’re going to keep buying because we know it has good origins, the one who doesn’t want to buy is the parent company, France’. Now, if it doesn’t work for the French, it won’t work for Brazilians. So, don’t supply meat to this brand’s market here in Brazil. Brazil must take great responsibility and guarantee the quality of our products. I want to believe that they will rethink what they are talking about Brazilian production”, said Fávaro, in reference to the position of Brazilian entities.
“I thought it was a commendable attitude on the part of the Brazilian industry to say ‘so, I’m not going to supply either [ao Carrefour]’. And this attitude has my support, which shows sovereignty and respect for Brazilian legislation”, he added.
The statement was given to journalists during an event celebrating 10 years of the founding of the Brazilian Association of Fruit and Derivatives Producers and Exporters (Abrafrutas), on Thursday night (21), in Brasília.
Controversy
At the end of October, another controversy involved the French company Danone, after a director declared that the group would no longer buy soy from Brazil due to issues related to sustainability, a veto that was later denied by the multinational. For the Minister of Agriculture, the two attitudes signal an orchestrated action against Brazilian agribusiness, considered one of the most competitive on the planet.
“I find it difficult to believe that an orchestrated action is taking place on the part of French companies. I find it difficult to believe that it is orchestrated, but I am also a person who does not believe in coincidences. I believe in divine providence, I believe in work. As you can see, there are 15 days ago, Danone with an action more or less like this, now Carrefour launching a movement like this. See, firstly, Brazil does not refuse to discuss sustainability with anyone anywhere in the world. is committed to respect to the environment, with traceability, with good health, with all principles of this type. Now, in no way, being attacked in our sovereignty, this is irreproachable”, said Carlos Fávaro.
In the ministry’s own assessment, Carrefour’s veto on Mercosur meat is a way of hindering the progress of the free trade agreement between the South American bloc and the European Union, a topic that was debated during the G20 Summit this week, and which has been going on for another two and a half decades. The President of France himself, Emmanuel Macron, said again, during the summit, that “in its current state, it is not an acceptable treaty”. With allegations about compliance with environmental rules, the French position expresses the interests of the country’s agricultural producers, who fear loss of market with the entry into force of the agreement, which would open space for the sale of products in the domestic markets of countries from both blocs. .
