Paris (France) (AFP) – Supermarkets and suppliers wanted to play appeasement, in vain: distributors announced on Monday their boycott of the committee monitoring the commercial negotiations, supposed to end in two weeks, denouncing “caricatural” statements from the Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard.

Published on: 02/16/2026 - 9:07 p.m.

Started on December 1 and scheduled until March 1, these annual negotiations ultimately determine shelf prices (excluding distributors' own brands).

Pitting distributors seeking competitive prices to attract customers, and manufacturers citing production costs and investment needs, these negotiations are regularly accused of dragging down farmers' income despite their supervision by the Egalim laws.

In order to ensure a more peaceful climate, the stakeholders signed an "unprecedented" charter of good conduct at the end of November, at the initiative of the Ministries of Agriculture and Commerce... without preventing traditional disputes.

In Le Parisien on Monday, Annie Genevard accused large-scale distribution of exercising “deadly blackmail” on food manufacturers.

“The demands of large-scale distribution, in terms of prices, are incompatible with the demands of manufacturers,” she declared in particular, believing that in the event of violent negotiations, “in the end, it is the farmers who will suffer.”

“Deadly”

“Certain brands are threatening to delist certain brands due to lack of agreement. I believe that this is deadly blackmail for the food industry,” she added.

The dairy giant Lactalis had in particular accused the European purchasing center of Intermarché, Auchan and Casino in January of removing certain of its products from the shelves to obtain price reductions.

"The increases are (...) generally justified and circumventing French law via European purchasing centers is no longer possible. We must therefore develop European law, with (the Minister of SMEs and Trade) Serge Papin" indicated Annie Genevard, promising to discuss the subject "with the European commissioners" at the Agricultural Show (February 21-March 1).

But for distributors, "these comments break with the working method based on trust and mutual respect" that brands and suppliers had "committed to preserving within the framework" of the charter, according to a letter from the Federation of Commerce and Distribution (FCD) sent Monday to Ms. Genevard and consulted by AFP.

“The desire for dialogue is not shared, and the minimum conditions for a respectful and impartial exchange” are “not met”, insisted the FCD in its letter, signed by the managers of the main brands (Leclerc, Carrefour, Intermarché, U and Auchan).

No question, therefore, of participating in the committees monitoring the commercial negotiations, including the one planned for Tuesday in Bercy in the presence in particular of Annie Genevard, they announce, regretting "reductive and caricatured statements".

"Diversion"

“Many costs are today on a downward trend,” defends the FCD, citing “agricultural raw materials (soft wheat and durum wheat, potatoes, coffee, sugar, cocoa, etc.) as well as industrial ones (lower energy, etc.).” This “must be reflected in the current negotiations, for the benefit of the French, hard hit by two years of high inflation,” she assures.

“As the Agricultural Show approaches, designating distribution as responsible for all the imbalances is a policy of diversion,” denounces the Federation.

The minister "can only be for the corporation she defends", reacted Monday, on Public Senate, Michel-Edouard Leclerc, president of the strategic committee of the E.Leclerc centers, rather pointing out the lack of "transparency" of the "large multinationals" of the agro-industry.

Concerning the withdrawal of certain references from the shelves, Michel-Edouard Leclerc affirms that "in this case at the moment, it is the manufacturers who do not deliver to us", citing in particular the Swiss chocolate maker Lindt, with whom negotiations are fierce.

The manager also defended the use by distributors of European purchasing centers to weigh against giants like Unilever or Nestlé, who according to him do not represent "the interests of French farmers".

On Monday, Fraud Repression imposed a fine of more than 33 million euros on Eurelec, E.Leclerc's European purchasing center, for non-compliance with the deadline for certain contracts in 2025.

Asked by AFP, Bercy specifies that the monitoring committee will be maintained on Tuesday at 10 a.m., without making further comments.

© 2026 AFP

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