Emmanuel Macron calls for "defending French meat everywhere", including in restaurants

"The French restaurant tables serve more than 60% of the meat that is not French", noted Emmanuel Macron, on the occasion of a "Great meeting of food sovereignty" organized Tuesday by videoconference by the French Agriculture Council (CAF). This meat "does not come from the end of the world". "She comes from Germany, she comes from the Netherlands, etc. It is a choice of courses," said the president in a pre-recorded interview. He therefore called for "defending French meat" instead.

"We need to be consistent with ourselves. Let's stop making minced, minced, minced meat, we need it in butcher shops, but let's also promote our breeders, our French-style cutting which is also an art, our butchers. And in our restaurants, not just in school canteens, let's put French meat, "said the head of state.

"When we are going to reopen restaurants, I call on everyone to be responsible".

"Pacify" the meat debate

Emmanuel Macron also wants "that we pacify" the debate on meat in the canteen in France. In February, the decision of the ecological mayor of Lyon to temporarily offer in school canteens a single menu without meat, to more easily apply the health rules related to Covid-19, had aroused an outcry. "Now he has returned himself" to multiple menus, noted the head of state.

"In the canteen, you have to be able to eat everything and you need a menu that corresponds to what has been called the flexitarian diet. And so yes, meat is part of the diet that is necessary to have the intake of protein. You don't need it all the time. You don't need an excess. Finally, you must not say either: it disappears. And therefore, you need quality meat, "he said.

Cafes, bars and restaurants will be able to reopen their terraces on May 19 everywhere in France, then their rooms on June 9, limiting themselves to half their capacity.