Carrefour is continuing with its drive to support French producers, as well as providing its customers with high-quality products that are both grown and manufactured in France: it has just created a new Quality Line for UHT cream. This initiative is in line with the partnership set up in January 2021 with the Saint-Denis-de-l’Hôtel Dairy and the Association des Producteurs Laitiers du Bassin Centre (Bassin Centre Dairy Producers Association) for Carrefour Quality Line UHT milk.
A new Quality Line to support partner producers
By launching this new Carrefour Quality Line (CQL) for UHT cream (3 x 20 cl) with the same producers as those who produce CQL UHT milk, the retailer is reasserting its determination to provide its customers with products that are more responsible, and which support modestly-sized farms across France, while at the same time providing its partner producers with new outlets.
This agreement is underpinned by a tripartite agreement between Carrefour, LSDH and the APLBC. It provides greater visibility and more prospects for the 326 producers concerned. They know that guaranteed minimum volumes will be purchased over three years, and they will get fairer payment – fair milk prices are certified by the Veritas bureau. Initially set at €390 for 1000 L in 2021, the prices being raised to €430 for 1000 L this year – both for CQL UHT milk and cream.
Carrefour Quality Lines – 30 years of commitment alongside farmers
As forerunners in supporting farmers through the agricultural transition, the Carrefour Quality Line initiative has been committed to making things better for 30 years: better for producers, the environment, animals and customers. Products have to meet strict requirements in terms of traceability, quality and taste. To showcase the work and expertise of its 131 product lines throughout France, ensure long-term relations based on trust with its producer partners and provide high-quality products that everybody can afford, the initiative is underpinned by several mainstays:
- Bipartite or multipartite agreements that provide our producer partners and/or manufacturers with visibility and guaranteed minimum volumes purchased over several years, and which guarantee fairer pay for producers.
- Long-term partnerships that have got more than 10,000 producers involved,
- Production methods inspired by agro-ecology that maintain the planet’s biodiversity,
- High levels of transparency are guaranteed by an extremely strict set of specifications and resources for tracing the product from the field to the fork (inspections conducted by independent organizations and the use of blockchain technology).
About the Author: Christopher Durham
