Carrefour has just unveiled an ambitious plan to revitalise the rural economy by creating new regional organic product lines – all within the framework of a revitalisation agreement entered into with the government. Through the initiative, Carrefour is supporting organic farming and is keen to help create new jobs across France’s farming regions with this investment.
Carrefour – partnering France’s farming regions
Carrefour is the number one organic retailer in France. In keeping with its role as the retail sector’s leading supporter of organic farming, it has just announced that it is to contribute €350,000 under an agreement to revitalise the rural economy, the aim being to create new organic product lines. The Group is seeking to support farmers and give them financial support with various projects. These include switching to organic farming (which can be technically complex and costly), protecting and improving soil quality and developing new production lines.This financial help can be used in conjunction with other state support and is to be paid to all beneficiaries in the form of operating subsidies, starting in the second quarter of 2022 to fund six projects to introduce new organic product lines.
Carrefour and the French government are supporting the creation of six new organic product lines in FranceSeveral initiatives to create new French organic product lines are underway in various regions throughout the country – they will get financial support from Carrefour to help them take shape:
- In the Ain region, Carrefour is helping five farmers working alongside Moulin Marion on making the switch to organic farming for their wheat flour, on sale in Carrefour stores.
- In the Alpes-Maritimes regions, Carrefour is supporting the Fédération Départementale des Groupes d’Études et de Développement Agricole (regional federation for investigating and developing farming), helping it to create an organic cut flower product line, the aim being to diversify and rotate crops so as to improve the quality of farmland.
- In the Côte-d’Or region, the Delin dairy is getting investment support to extend its production site and the facilities it uses to make organic UHT milk.
- In the Haute-Garonne region, the Group is subsidising Jardins de la Croix so they can develop organic squashes.
- In the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region, Carrefour is supporting start-up Hopen, so it can develop organic hops and offer consumers 100% French organic beer – with no imported hops.
- In the Savoie region, members of the Poisy Verger Expérimental association are getting financial support from Carrefour to help fruit-growers switch over to organic farming methods, the aim being to increase production of organic pears, volumes of which are still very low across France.
This initiative is in line with the ambitious aims that the Carrefour Group set for itself in 2018 to develop new product lines, while at the same time offering financing solutions to help producers make the switch over to organic farming methods. Buoyed by its purpose – to facilitate the food transition for everyone – Carrefour is once again confirming its commitment to promoting the sustainable agricultural transition.
