Carrefour teams up with industry to launch plant-based venture

Carrefour has announced that it is teaming up with seven industrial partners to launch an international coalition, hoping to boost sales of plant-based products.

As part of its Carrefour 2026 plan, it has explained it has a goal of plant protein-based products account for €500 million of its sales across Europe by 2026. This is a 65 percent increase compared to its plant-based product sales in 2022.

The leading global retailers is now working with Danone, Unilever, Bel, Andros, Bonduelle, Nutrition & Santé, Savencia to form a coalition. These companies have set their sights on generating €3 billion in sales from alternative plant-based products by 2026.

The coalition will be launching a number of initiatives to start putting more plant-based products on people’s plates.

“The creation of this coalition is first and foremost a response to growing demands from consumers who are increasingly interested in plant proteins,” said Carrefour.

The retailer claims that plant-based alternatives are “a solution in an inflationary environment”, citing plant proteins (such as lentils or peas) as being “extremely economical” while still being able to be used as a substitute for “more costly animal proteins”.

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What’s more, the retailer has also committed to reducing its indirect CO2 emissions by 29 percent between now and 2030 in the Carrefour 2026 plan. The company has said that “increasing sales of plant-based products will play a significant part in this”.

Along with its seven industry partners, Carrefour offers a wide ranger of plant-based offerings, including plant-based drinks, legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans), ready-made meals, plant-based products and meat substitutes.

The coalition has reportedly agreed to set up a steering committee, a group made up of representatives of the eight founding companies. The key purpose of the coalition is to introduce new products in the plant-based category, test taste and flavour innovations, organise sales drives, recommend recipes to customers to help them cook these new products more easily and engage in discussion about best practices to help develop alternative plant-based products.

“This committee will meet on a regular basis to take stock of results and decide what collective commercial campaigns need to be implemented,” said Carrefour.

“We want to leverage our Carrefour brand and use the support of our industrial partners to provide an alternative plant-based selection. Reducing the carbon footprint of our diet will play a part in tackling climate change, as well as helping customers deal with inflation – they will be able to enjoy a healthy, well-balanced diet at affordable prices,” commented Alexandre Bompard, Chairman and CEO of the Carrefour Group.

“Getting our sector involved in this initiative is a collective responsibility. And it is my wish that other groups join us in this coalition.”