Margaux Fodéré // Photo credits: Jean-Michel Delage / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 06:13, November 29, 2023

According to the executive, the peak of inflation has passed, but rising prices continue to weigh on the purchasing power of the French. On Wednesday 28 November, four consumer associations appealed to President Emmanuel Macron in a letter. They are calling for concrete measures to stop "excessive margins" in the agri-food sector.

48% is the level of margin that the agri-food industry has reached this year according to INSEE. A figure that is the subject of debate. According to information from Europe 1, the industrial federations received at the end of September at Bercy had asked for new estimates. On Wednesday 28 November, four consumer associations (Foodwatch, Familles rurales, CLCV, UFC-Que Choisir) appealed to the president in a letter. They are calling for concrete measures to stop "excessive margins" in the agri-food sector.

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"Excessive gross margin"

And whatever the figure chosen, according to Jean-Yves Mano, predict by the CLCV, the association that signed the letter sent to Emmanuel Macron, industrialists do indeed contribute to inflation. "Beyond the statistics, if it's 46 or 43 percent, you could consider that it's an excessive gross margin anyway. Let me remind you that 50% of French people have financial difficulties. We are asking the agri-food industries, as well as distributors and supermarkets, to lower prices more effectively," Jean-Yves Mano told Europe 1 radio.

However, prices are likely to stabilise at a high level for a long time. Since 2020, successive crises have increased production costs. In three years, for example, personnel costs have increased by 20% in the food industry, according to the National Association of Food Industries. And these costs, which take into account wage increases, will not decrease.

"Be careful, the drop in inflation does not mean going back to 2019 prices. We couldn't: we've entered a new system and we're going to completely change the paradigm," said Jean-Philippe André, president of the National Association of Food Industries. All the more so as the evolution of energy prices, which are necessary for production, is still very uncertain.