OREANDA-NEWS. At the Aquitaine Agricultural Show in Bordeaux, Avril and Carrefour announced the introduction of a line of soybeans grown in South West France using sustainable methods.
 

A partnership supporting the relocation of a Carrefour French-origin soybean line to Aquitaine
From 2017, this agreement will include pigs from Carrefour’s Quality Line, in collaboration with the farming cooperative Euralis and the cooperative group FIPSO (South West France pig industry).

Under this agreement, Carrefour and Avril undertake to:

  • Introduce an ambitious agroecological process allying environmental, economic and social aspects in support of France’s agricultural and agri-foods sectors.
  • Substitute non-GMO French soybeans produced in the Sojalim pulping unit for the non-GMO imported soybeans currently used by breeder partners.
  • Develop Carrefour Quality Lines that use soybeans of French origin.


For Michel Boucly, Avril’s CEO: “This agreement illustrates the significance of our commitments and investments from the key aspects of sustainability, responsibility and public interest. By creating partnerships of trust like the one we are signing today with Carrefour in the South West, we are creating value for each of our partners and the whole agricultural sector, whilst meeting the demands of consumers who are increasingly concerned about the quality of their food.”

For Bruno Lebon, Carrefour France’s Traditional Fresh Produce Director: “Carrefour has been working to eliminate GMOs from animal feed since 1998. This agreement will enable us to support the relocation of almost 8,000 hectares of soybean growing to the South West. It also illustrates Carrefour’s desire to take practical action to respond still better to consumers, such as for example antibiotic-free chicken and strawberries that are not treated with synthetic pesticides once they have flowered.”