Commercial negotiations: the preparatory meeting between manufacturers and distributors postponed to November 2

The meeting initially planned for Wednesday October 28 in Bercy between distributors and agri-food manufacturers, ahead of the opening of commercial negotiations, has been postponed until November 2, the office of the Minister of Commerce told AFP. This postponement is due to a conflict of agenda, the ministers concerned - Serge Papin for Commerce and Annie Genevard for Agriculture - having to be present Wednesday morning at the Council of Ministers which was postponed, specified the cabinet, confirming information from the specialized media LSA. The main distributors had threatened on Friday to boycott this meeting with the manufacturers, whom they called for more “transparency”.

The latter had in return denounced indecent “cynicism”. » READ ALSO - Commercial negotiations: what happens if the contracts between distributors and manufacturers are not signed? “The cynicism of distributors exceeds decency” The Federation of Commerce and Distribution (FCD), which represents the main brands such as E.

Leclerc, Carrefour and Intermarché, had affirmed that it “will not participate” in this preparation committee “until two fundamental requirements have been recognized and shared by all”, she announced in a press release. She cited “transparency” on the costs of agricultural raw materials and differentiated treatment for SMEs. This ultimatum aroused the ire of the National Association of Food Industries (Ania).

“Who are we kidding? », Reacted its president, Jean-François Loiseau, in a statement sent to AFP. “The cynicism of distributors exceeds decency,” he added, accusing them of refusing “since the start of the crisis in the Middle East to take into account the additional costs” borne by agri-food companies.

Every year, from December 1 to March 1, supermarkets and food suppliers carry out negotiations, sometimes brutal, which ultimately determine shelf prices (excluding distributors' own brands) and are regularly accused of putting pressure on farmers' remuneration. While the 2026-2027 vintage promises to be particularly tense, and inflation inevitable, the government announced last week that it wanted to bring together the stakeholders upstream, with a view to a “responsibility pact”.

Machine-translated from French