After urging supermarket executives to take concrete action during the C'est Qui le Patron? 8-year anniversary last year, Karine Le Marchand—host of the popular TV show L'Amour est dans le pré—repeated the move yesterday. During a morning press conference, five major retail CEOs—Guillaume Darrasse (Auchan), Thierry Cotillard (Intermarché), Alexandre Bompard (Carrefour), Philippe Palazzi (Casino), and Dominique Schelcher (Coopérative U)—announced three commitments in support of French agriculture. Notably absent was Michel-Edouard Leclerc, raising questions about the depth of this initiative, which some critics dismiss as mere PR.
From left to right: Thierry Cotillard, Philippe Palazzi, Karine Le Marchand, Alexandre Bompard, Dominique Schelcher, and Guillaume Darrasse
1. "L'Amour est tout près" signage
A nod to M6's L'Amour est dans le pré, the first initiative involves launching in-store signage called "L'Amour est tout près." This program allows small local producers struggling to sell their goods to market their products in participating stores. Producers set their own prices and receive payment within 30 days. Eligibility is limited to producers with no more than two employees (excluding seasonal workers), who are not already listed with another chain, and whose farms are located within 100 km of the store. Special in-store displays will inform consumers about these local products.
2. "Overproduction alert" System
The second initiative targets the fruit and vegetable sector, which frequently faces overproduction crises. This emergency system will notify consumers via "overproduction alerts"—issued by the public body FranceAgriMer—when specific products are in surplus.
Retailers will deploy special signage to highlight these products and accelerate stock clearance. The alerts may also be relayed through media outlets like television to broaden consumer awareness.
3. Creating an observatory for future sectors
The third initiative involves establishing a dedicated observatory to track and analyze emerging consumer trends. This tool aims to help producers anticipate market needs and guide decisions regarding diversification and future crops. Developed in collaboration with the Chambers of Agriculture and agricultural unions, the observatory will undergo a comprehensive review at the 2026 Salon de l'Agriculture (SIA).
A genuine effort or just another PR move?
For Jean-François Loiseau, President of the ANIA (National Association of Food Industries), the initiative amounts to little more than a distraction. In a statement released on February 25th, titled "Distributors' Press Conference at the Salon de l'Agriculture," the ANIA denounced the announcements as "yet another publicity stunt designed to distract from years of driving down prices and squeezing both farmers and food companies." Loiseau directly criticized retailers for failing to comply with the Egalim law, which mandates fair payment for agricultural products. "If retailers truly want to support French agriculture, they must start by complying with the Egalim law and stop negotiating down the cost of agricultural raw materials," he asserted.
François-Xavier Huard, President of the Fédération Nationale de l'Industrie Laitière (FNIL), echoed this sentiment, remarking: "Love may be in the meadow, but it's nowhere to be found in the negotiating room."
In response to the criticism, Dominique Schelcher defended the initiative on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating: "No, this is not a publicity stunt. We don't need that to take action alongside farmers!"
Leclerc's notable absence
Michel-Edouard Leclerc, a key figure in French retail, was conspicuously absent from the press conference. He later addressed the initiative on X, applauding the effort while highlighting that Leclerc has long been ahead in supporting local producers. "Karine Le Marchand's initiative is interesting for those who lack an organized approach with local farmers," he stated. "At E.Leclerc, it's called 'Local Alliances': we've signed 15,000 contracts with small producers over the past 15 years, selling over 150,000 local products. Our goal is to reach 20,000 local contracts by 2025." Regarding the overproduction alert system, Leclerc claimed the company already implements similar measures in collaboration with Interfel (the interprofessional fruit and vegetable association) to support farmers.