“We were sacrificed” by the government on the altar of farmers’ anger.

Asked about the reasons for this anger towards Leclerc supermarkets, the leader in mass distribution in France, especially because of the purchase of products abroad, Michel-Edouard Leclerc sees it as a concerted operation: “When FNSEA started regrouping, all the main retailers were targeted. . Instructions have been given in this regard. They did not go into the agri-food or mass catering industries, which nevertheless buy two-thirds of French agricultural production. It is excellent for farmers’ exhibitions to target mass distribution. »

Before directly pointing out the actions of the government which “never called it during the crisis”: “This is a way for the public authorities to draw attention to the target area. We make sacrifices for this. Even if we have our responsibility, throw us into the open.” given, when first we were called to solve upstream problems. And Michel-Edouard Leclerc added, “a group of modem and renaissance deputies is also targeting me personally”.

However, “we are not responsible for the poor pensions of farmers, the inability to negotiate Mercosur-type agreements or the multiplication of standards…”

“We have never tampered with the law”

Leclerc on the location of the shopping center to stop Egalim in Belgium: “We have never manipulated the law. We are present internationally as we negotiate with many large companies, which sometimes have nothing to do with the agri-food industry. And I remind you that we were asked to negotiate price reductions with these big companies to support purchasing power. » In their view multinational companies are responsible for most of the current problems of farmers.

Before defending the French origin of most of its products, “Even though we can find some foreign products on our shelves. We are not a divided country.”