False labeling, misplaced products… farmers denounce these practices at the Carrefour de Balaruc

Les agriculteurs au Carrefour de Balaruc avec leur chariot rempli de produits au marketing trompeur ou mal placés en rayon. Midi Libre – KELMAN MARTI

This Friday, February 23, farmers carried out an educational action in the Carrefour of Balaruc-le-Vieux.

2 p.m. Balaruc-le-Vieux. Around fifteen farmers enter the Carrefour shopping center. Between customers, they carry out educational action to point out questionable practices on supermarket shelves. With them, a trolley, which fills up over the minutes with products that are out of place. Most often foreigners, and/or with misleading marketing, taking advantage of the value of French articles with a good reputation.

"We found a jar of honey which displayed a French producer, but whose honey comes from Ukraine and Vietnam. If fraud repression saw this, the brand would get a slap on the wrist. It’s a deception!", says Maxime Vigroux of the Young Farmers of Hérault.

Not far from him, three gendarmes are watching and Jérémy Edo, beekeeper, is working on sticking labels in particular “I don’where it comes from”. "This honey comes from Bulgaria and is sold next to a French one. It’s beyond comprehension!, he declares.

Jérémy, who notices the problem of pollination in the world, goes on the hunt for “bad honey”. Midi Libre – Kelman Marti

"We just ask to be able to live"

Next to them, the RN deputy for the 7th constituency of Hérault Aurélien Lopez-Liguori denounces the practices of brands and mass distribution. "Having olives that have grown in Europe, then potted in the region and which finally end up in a “Products from the region” This is not normal. The State must carry out more controls on imported products and large retailers must separate them from those of the country", demands the elected official.

Faced with denunciations, some Carrefour department managers say "understand the action", accept some errors, assure "do everything to work with local producers" and defend themselves by declaring that they do not respond "qu&amp ;rsquo;to the orders of management regarding the placement of products on the stalls".

Cédric Saur discussing with a Carrefour department manager. Midi Libre – KELMAN MARTI

A speech which leaves Lilian Veyrac, an 18-year-old winegrower, doubtful. "Department managers can very well change the place items if they notice a problem", he estimates after having plasticized European olive oil sold in the Occitanie department.

Lilian covers the bottles of olive oil produced in the European Union and sold in the "Products from the region" department. Midi Libre – Kelman Marti

"It’s all the more frustrating to see this, when ever more standards are imposed on us. We simply ask to be able to live normally", confides Cédric Saur, general secretary of the FNSEA.