French supermarket chains represented by the Fédération du commerce et de la distribution have agreed to sell smaller and misshapen fruits and vegetables to support farmers hit by severe drought.
The industry association announced on Tuesday that retailers would relax standard size and appearance criteria to stock produce that was previously set aside, providing growers with vital sales outlets.
Shoppers interviewed by television channel TF1 in supermarket aisles welcomed the decision. One customer said that taste was what mattered most to him, adding that the initiative would allow farmers to sell their harvests and navigate a difficult period.
Agricultural representatives also responded favorably to the decision. Bruno Villa, co-president of the Légumes de France union, speaking on news channel LCI on Wednesday, noted that his organisation had been calling on supermarket chains for two months to show flexibility during product inspections and to commit to French produce.
Hugues Beyler, director of agriculture and supply chains at the Fédération du commerce et de la distribution, told TF1 that farmers needed to earn income from crops they had brought to maturity. He stressed that retailers could not reject produce solely over visual flaws or irregular sizes when farmers urgently required buyers.
Growers in Haute-Vienne
Crops across the country have suffered from months of water shortages. In the Haute-Vienne department in central-western France, apple grower Antoine Nardot faces his worst harvest in ten years because his crops failed to reach normal sizes due to lack of rainfall.
Nardot told TF1 that it would be a shame for a harvest of Golden AOP apples to be downgraded to budget fruit status simply because of its size when the apples remained of high quality.
Haute-Vienne is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France where fruit farming is a key local economic sector. The Appellation d'Origine Protégée, or AOP, is a European Union quality label certifying that agricultural products are produced in a specific geographical area using traditional methods.
Despite retailers accepting smaller and spotted produce, growers face substantial volume losses, with the Golden AOP cooperative expecting a 20 percent drop in output. Jean-Luc Soury, general director of the Limdor cooperative, said growers needed price increases rather than supportive statements alone.
Soury explained that while he had previously sold apples for approximately 1.30 euros per kilogram this year, growers would need at least 1.50 euros per kilogram going forward to cover their costs.
Consumer support for French produce
Industry leaders believe the success of the initiative depends heavily on consumer willingness to pay higher prices. Philippe Goetzmann, president of the commerce commission at the CCI Paris Ile-de-France, questioned on LCI whether shoppers would buy French produce if it became more expensive and less visually appealing.
Goetzmann emphasized that everyone who was able to do so should mobilize to buy French produce, noting that distributor messaging to customers would be crucial. The TF1 report concluded that consumer solidarity at the dining table would be essential for the survival of French agricultural produce on supermarket shelves.
