Karine the merchant and large distribution, the unexpected solution to the crisis? – L’Express

The photo is rare enough for us to stop there. This Wednesday, February 26, five bosses of large distribution met at the time of the croissants at the agricultural fair, in Paris. The object of this meeting? Announce a salvo of commitments to help farmers live better from their work. Carrefour, Intermarché, Casino, Auchan and the U cooperative … All answered the call from Karine Le Marchand. As for the Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard, “I asked her not to come”, elected the host of the program Love is in the meadow For almost sixteen years, who prefers to wait until the end of the show to avoid “any political recovery”.

Last year, the one who usually helps farmers find love rises to the niche. In the midst of an agricultural sling, she joined the demonstrators on the highways, then launched a petition. With the spontaneity that the public knows him, the presenter then calls out to a fair of the tricolor distribution: “We no longer have time to wait for politicians, the private sector must try to provide an answer to the distress of farmers. “

“Love is very close”

Chick! In the days that follow, Karine Le Marchand is contacted by the “hyper”, discussions open. “The beginnings were complicated: you had to be careful not to fall under the understanding” [NDLR : accord entre plusieurs entreprises sur la fixation des prix, le partage des marchés ou la restriction de la production, ce qui est interdit lorsque cela fausse le jeu de la concurrence]. By dint of conversations, three action ideas emerge and agree with signs and farmers.

The first target the small producers. Called “Love is very close” in the blink of an eye on the show, its principle is simple. Producers in difficulty may, within a radius of 100 kilometers, sell their product in hypermarkets and supermarkets by fixing the prices themselves while being paid for thirty days. No negotiations on sales prices, and intermediary zero: in large distribution, this is a first. Which is however not without conditions.

Fight overproduction

To benefit from it, the farmer must not have more than two employees, and must justify being in difficulty. On the shelves, on the stalls, the products concerned will be indicated using orange signage in the shape of a heart. “Obviously, producers will be accompanied, also possibly by the chambers of agriculture, because if the prices fixed are too high, they may not sell” specifies Karine Le Marchand. And to add: “The idea is also to try to encourage producers to transform their raw products themselves”. From this ambition follows the second part of the program announced this Wednesday: fighting overproduction.

Each year, seasonally, farmers are forced to sell their goods at a loss. The purpose of the operation is therefore to educate the public about this issue. To do this, the host of M6 played her network: “The idea is to seek partnerships in the press, radio, television to relay alerts when there is overproduction”. Alongside its counterparts, the CEO of Carrefour Alexandre Bompard is committed this Wednesday to do “a real work to make consumers want to buy the products victims of overproduction”. Karine Le Marchand has made his calculations: “If the request increases, the purchase price of farmers will go up”.

For the director of the Agri-ethics label Ludovic Brindejon, however, “make announcements ‘to support farmers’ a few days before the end of 2025 commercial negotiations, in an extremely tense context, is quite astounding.” A reference to discussions between mass distribution players and agrifood manufacturers who are due to arrive on March 1. “If the initiative provides fair remuneration of farmers in the long term, why not. But still the model must be challenged and likely,” he adds.

Arboriculturer and truffle farmer in the Tarn, David wants to believe in the project piloted by Karine Le Marchand. “These announcements are in the right direction, and will make it possible to educate consumers in the seasonality of products”. Same story on the side of Cathy Heraud, winegrower in the Médoc who benefited from the preview program. And the producer to rejoice in initiatives which, according to her, are “in the concrete”: “Karine (the merchant) has done much more for us in a few years than the State in decades”.

Made up the state’s carelessness?

This year, the agricultural anger that had marked the previous edition of the show has somewhat subsided. And while more than 16 % of agricultural households live below the poverty line – against 14 % of French households -, bitterness persists. The fault, in part, to the delay in legislative work caused by dissolution. Voted by the National Assembly last spring, the organic law on agriculture was adopted by the Senate in mid-February. And its content is still far from satisfying the whole profession: “It is a thousand leagues from what it would take to help the sector, politicians do nothing for us”, deplores Cathy Heraud whose father, producer , died after a massive loss of exploitation.

On the large distribution side, Thierry Cotillard, president of the group Les Mousquetaires, regrets that the executive is not there. “Failing to have sufficient political answers, the private sector, who does not want to be without French farmers in a few years, must take initiatives”. Not without risks: Selling products from French agriculture involves displaying higher prices, and therefore losing competitiveness. “The distribution is torn between the desire to offer consumers affordable products in an inflationary context, and that of remunerating their products to producers at a better price,” summarizes Christophe Piednoel, director of communication and CSR of the Casino group.

Especially since the reproach is regularly made to offer imported products. “For some foodstuffs, such as lamb, French production only covers 55 % of needs! To re -implant sectors in France with contractualization is also the objective,” defends Thierry Cotillard. Like four of his competitors around him this Wednesday morning, the intermarché boss is thus committed to offering producers who settle in non -existent sectors or in danger of contracts from three to five years. To define them, an observatory will be set up and will make its first conclusions next year, at the Agricultural Show. “Our responsibility is to propose healthy products and which properly remunerate the agricultural world, but it is not for private companies to define a national and European policy for agricultural development”, underlines Christophe Piednoël, of Casino. And to conclude with a formula: “We want to bring our data and our ideas, but let’s not forget: each their role”.