French Farmers Protest Moroccan Tomato Imports in Supermarket Labeling Action

Putting labels indicating "Morocco" on Moroccan fruits and vegetables, especially tomatoes, sold in a large store near Agen, in Lot-et-Garonne. This is the way these French producers have found to protest against the "unfair competition" from Morocco, whose products are "overrepresented on the shelves".

This denunciation aims to alert and raise awareness among consumers about the origin of these foreign products and to "highlight" French production, says Le Parisien, adding that the French tomato producers, through this action, demand clearer labeling on the products.

The association of vegetable producers of the FNSEA, Légumes de France, denounces an "insufficiency" of indications on the origin of fruits and vegetables in supermarkets. For example, the origin of cherry tomatoes is written "very small on the side of the tray", observes Nathalie Binda, a producer from the region.

The farmers also denounce "ineffective customs agreements", highlighting the EU-Morocco agreement, the prices deemed too low of the kingdom’s products and its cheap labor, as well as the use of pesticides banned in France.