"Truth on this side of the Pyrenées, error on the other," wrote Blaise Pascal – an axiom that could also be applied across the Atlantic Ocean. On Wednesday, November 20, Carrefour CEO, Alexandre Bompare pledged that "no meat coming from Mercosur" would be sold in his stores out of "solidarity with the farming world." However, the announcement carries limited weight, as these products – highly controversial for French farmers who have been up in arms against the signing of a free-trade agreement between the European Union and Latin American countries – make up just 4% of Carrefour's beef and pork sales in France.
It was a clever move. Even Michel-Edouard Leclerc, head of the E. Leclerc chain, had to get in on the act: When he was invited to speak on a political discussion show on Sunday, November 24, he reminded listeners that while the raw material was not an issue – "99% [of them] don't sell meat from Mercosur" – on the other hand, "[their] food manufacturers (...) must [tell them] where their ingredients in processed products come from."
However, was it really necessary for Carrefour to expose itself in this way when the group is also the market leader in Brazil and generates a quarter of its sales in Latin America? The backlash immediately came back to bite him. Mauro Mendes, governor of Mato Grosso – a major Brazilian cattle-raising region – called for a boycott of the French company's stores. "I, as a citizen, will no longer shop at their stores," he declared in a video posted Friday on social media. Carrefour has had to clarify that this commitment to not sell Mercosur meat products only applied to its stores in France.
Since the 18th century, when the first British sugar boycott aimed to combat slavery, consumer boycotts have often proven effective. When politics comes into people's shopping habits, people vote with their wallets every day, and, in the long run, it can prove costly. In 2018, Danone lost nearly €180 million in revenue after being targeted by a campaign in Morocco. Similarly, by 2023, brewer Anheuser-Bush's Bud Light beer had lost its position as number one for sales in the US after a collaboration with a transgender influencer drew the ire of US conservatives.
In Indonesia and the Middle East, Western brands with a presence in Israel have faced retaliation from consumers which has put pressure on their sales. Farmers' protests in France versus boycott threats in Brazil: Only time will tell if Bompard will come out ahead in the end.