Following concerted opposition to the Mercosur Agreement, Carrefour, a major E.U. supermarket chain based in France, agreed to cease marketing meat from Brazil.  In retribution, meat packers in that nation terminated supply to Carrefour stores in Brazil claiming with justification that the Carrefour policy in Europe was “blatantly protectionist”.

Given negative publicity and the actions of producers in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, Carrefour has now reversed its position. Alexandre Bompard, CEO of Carrefour, retracted his condemnation of the Mercosur Agreement previously characterized as “presenting the risk of meat production spilling over into the French market, failing to meet the requirements and standards of the E.U.”  The recent retraction stated, “We never set French agriculture against Brazilian agriculture, and we are proud to be the leading partner and promoter of Brazilian agriculture.”