On Thursday November 14, some thirty farmers from the Coordination rurale group gathered in front of a Lidl platform in the industrial zone of Le Rousset (Bouches-du-Rhône), to demand fairer prices for their produce, reports France Bleu Provence

Ahead of a nationwide mobilization announced for the following week, these farmers from Provence chose to hold a symbolic demonstration in front of the warehouse serving the region’s Lidl stores. “Central purchasing agencies must pay a fair price to producers,” the union posted on social network X. Coordination rurale, France’s second-largest farmers’ union, is also critical of the EU-Mercosur free-trade agreement, accused of worsening the situation of French farmers.

For Laurent Dubost, general secretary of Coordination rurale in the Bouches-du-Rhône region, this discount chain embodies “the malaise” felt in the agricultural sector. He confided to France Bleu Provence: “Since February, our treasuries have been dry, while they continue to take advantage of our difficult situation.” Dubost warns: “Lidl is targeted today, but tomorrow it could be another player, another place. Coordination rurale is not ruling out any option.” Finally, he calls on consumers to be aware of the importance of buying French products at a fair price, underlining the impact of Lidl’s margins on the survival of French farmers.