"The days when Lidl showed great respect for French producers are long gone," claims the Sauvons les Fruits et Légumes de France collective, which accuses the German discount chain of "waging a price war." This is a situation that the collective links directly to the departure of Michel Biero.
Today, the chain wages a price war once again
"Today, the chain is once again waging a price war, with the major risk that its competitors will follow suit, disregarding their commitment to the French origin and producer remuneration made at the International Agricultural Show in Paris." The collective names are examples of apples, cucumbers, and strawberries. "For apples, while not a single kilo should leave the stations for less than €1 [1.14 USD], the RNM quotations show that entry-level prices (2kg bags) have plummeted since the start of the season and are 10% below the previous season. For strawberries, production failed to meet the demand for Easter, so Lidl forced its suppliers to cut prices by more than 20 cents per kilo compared to its competitors. The same lower price policy was applied for cucumbers, coupled with threats of imports. Producers fear the arrival of Spanish cucumbers on the shelves in the very near future," according to the collective, which is calling on consumers to be vigilant. "Low prices do not pay producers, and imports kill them."
"As soon as Michel Biero left, Lidl forgot its commitment to the French origin"
"Michel Biero's departure from the Lidl chain has raised fears upstream in the fresh fruit and vegetable sector that purchasing practices are now changing for the worse, to the detriment of producers." For years, thanks to manager Michel Biero, Lidl was committed to working with French producers via supply chain agreements, tripartite contracts for certain supply chains, French origin for its fruit and vegetable section, and the implementation of roadmaps. The collective believes these fears to be well-founded. "Our producers are paying dearly for the German discounter's desire to resume this price war."
Lidl targeted by farmers of the Gard department
On its X account, the collective Sauvons les Fruits et Légumes de France shared the action taken by farmers in the Gard department against a Lidl store. "Barely 3 months after the departure of Michel Biero, Lidl France has already forgotten his wise commitments in favor of French food sovereignty." Last week, farmers of the Gard department took to the streets and dumped dozens of kilos of asparagus in front of the Lidl store in Bagnols-sur-Cèze. They aimed to denounce the sale of cheap asparagus from Mexico and Spanish strawberries.
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