During the Salon de l'Agriculture 2025, a key agreement was signed at the Vergers écoresponsables stand, marking a strategic partnership between Carrefour, the Association Nationale Pommes Poires (ANPP), and the AOP Pêches et Abricots de France. This three-year commitment aims to bolster Carrefour's range of sustainably grown products and ensure a sustainable future for French orchards under the Vergers écoresponsables label. The partnership echoes the goals of the Peaches and Apricots PDO, which promotes collaboration with French retailers. 
Alexandre Bompard, CEO of Carrefour, Christophe Belloc representing ANPP, and Bruno Darnaud, President of AOP Pêches et Abricots de France.
Carrefour's commitments
As part of the agreement, Carrefour has made four key commitments to support the Vergers écoresponsables initiative:
Promotion of eco-responsible fruit:
Carrefour will actively promote fruit with the Vergers écoresponsables label, aligning it with its Act For Food movement, which focuses on food transition. Carrefour will communicate values like seasonality, quality, and respect for biodiversity to its customers. According to Raphaël Martinez, Director of the PDO Pêches et Abricots de France, the Vergers écoresponsables approach mirrors Carrefour's agroecological strategy.
Priority to eco-responsible orchards:
Carrefour will prioritize fruit from eco-responsible orchards, such as apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, and apricots, depending on seasonality and availability. Carrefour aims to increase the number of eco-responsible fruit references available in its stores.
Support for modernization and agro-ecological innovation:
Carrefour will help the sector adopt innovative agroecological techniques, such as methods for protecting orchards from climatic hazards, diseases, and pests while enhancing biodiversity and carbon storage in the soil.
Simplification of quality controls:
To streamline operations, Carrefour will eliminate redundant audits for producers, such as those concerning private label products outside the Filière Qualité Carrefour (FQC). It also aims to reduce the number of shared quality control criteria between Carrefour and Vergers écoresponsables, decreasing the audit burden on producers.
Commitments of the Association Nationale Pommes Poires and PDO Pêches et Abricots de France:
The Vergers écoresponsables initiative, supported by the ANPP and AOP Pêches et Abricots de France, commits to:
Sustainability:
The focus is on environmentally friendly production methods, which are monitored and certified through the Vergers écoresponsables approach.
Seasonal French fruit from sustainable agriculture:
The partners will ensure that only seasonal French fruits grown through sustainable farming practices are offered to meet Carrefour's expectations.
Investment in agro-ecological innovation:
The investment will be made in innovative techniques and equipment to further promote agro-ecology within the orchards.
Quality controls and compliance:
The farms will adhere to the Vergers écoresponsables quality system, ensuring their products meet Carrefour's stringent specifications while maintaining high standards of sustainability.
This partnership represents a strong collaboration between Carrefour and French producers to advance sustainability in fruit production while enhancing the visibility and traceability of eco-responsible products for consumers.