Paris (AFP)
Stéphane, union representative, bought a melon. Nicole, a member of a cooperative supermarket, took salads. Their racing bags display large retail logos, but they ensure solidarity with producers in difficulty.
In a few hours Thursday morning, Parisians and Ile-de-France, equipped with caddies and shopping bags, have collected 20 tons of plums, tomatoes, potatoes, melons, onions and salads at a direct sale in the middle of the Place de la République.
These fruits and vegetables, sold "at the right price" directly by the producers, had been trucked on the night of Lot-et-Garonne and Herault, for a sale of solidarity with the peasants, on the initiative of the Modef agricultural union and PCF elected representatives.
In the square, Christian Reynaud, a sheep farmer, potato grower in the Hautes-Alpes and a Modef activist, came to meet customers.
"Since this year, we have the law Egalim, supposed to help producers and better spread the margin with supermarkets, but so far, the result has been an increase in prices for consumers and a decrease in the average price that comes to the producer, "he told AFP.
This is the opposite of the goal displayed, much to the chagrin of some producers in difficulty who can not cover their production costs.
- Farmers "drained" -
The broad smile of M. Reynaud freezes a little. "I saw that even people who come to buy today have supermarket bags."
"The system is perverse.We, the producers, are squeezed by the big distribution, it is necessary that people understand it," he breathes.
The sale, not much publicized in advance, receives mostly committed customers. As Hakim Arabdiou, an official, who would like to have a farmers' market near his home and says he is "forced" to go "very often to Monoprix". Or Tatiana Civet, who campaigns against deforestation in Brazil.
Pierre Thomas, president of Modef, denounces "the margins of supermarkets and the food industry on fruits and vegetables, especially organic".
With his support, a study published opportunely Thursday morning by the association of consumers UFC Que Choisir denounces "on-margins" on the organic fruits and vegetables in the supermarkets, which "clubs the consumers".
The association advises consumers to prefer organic specialty stores rather than major retailers, accused of enriching themselves with the best-selling products.
- African pears, an "aberration" -
Thomas also protests against CETA-type international trade agreements between the European Union (EU) and Canada, or Mercosur between the EU and four South American countries, which "disrupt" food markets and the production.
"We have to manage to find a consumption that takes into account the seasons, and that each country produces what it can produce," he pleads.
He admits that there will always be trade and imports for coffee or bananas that can not be produced in France. "But we must stop the aberration of importing pears from South Africa", "produced with chemicals not allowed with France".
"This is not good for local producers who are forced to industrialize to meet the demand of supermarkets, nor for the producers here who suffer unfair competition, nor for the climate with the effect of transport" continues Pierre Thomas.
Nicole, a resident of the 18th arrondissement who came to Republic "out of solidarity", says she is aware of the contradictions of consumers in the face of food globalization.
In the community supermarket of which she is a member, she regrets that "many organic products come from Spain and Italy".
His bag with the logo of a very large surface is quickly hidden in the pocket of the bike: "I never go in principle, except this summer, because I had 20 people to feed at once".
© 2019 AFP