Biodiversity is in danger. In Europe, people have access to only 3% of existing cereals, vegetables, and fruits. The other 97% (two million « Farmers’ varieties ») are illegal, because producers can only sell what is registered in the Official Catalogue of AuthorizedSpecies, defined by the agrochemical lobby. This is the law in Europe since 1981. As a result, 90% of farmable varieties have already disappeared worldwide since the 20th century (sourceFAO); farmers must depend on pricey hybrids or be sued; and consumers are deprived from a wide range of superior produces, richer in nutrients, taste, and better for the environment.

The problem was no-one knew about this, except a handful of militants. After 40 years of prohibition, dozens of draft laws by farmers' associations had already been rejected, in the total indifference of the media. The biggest threat to biodiversity is ignorance. If nobody knows, nobody cares, and lobbies can continue to pass laws in the shadows. It was time to take a bold step to reveal the issue to all, stand by farmers and change the political agenda. So we took a stand to educate the public, make ourselves allies in the public debate, and change the law.

To change the law, Carrefour decided to defy the law, and launched the BlackSupermarket.

Illegal BlackSupermarkets were created in Carrefour’s stores nationally to sell illegal varieties of cereals, vegetables, and fruits. We asked people to join the cause by buying our illegal range in our stores and by signing our petition on Change.org to change the law. Print, outdoor, web films and our instore BlackSupermarket installations revealed the absurdity of the law, and turned our illegal producers into national heroes. Against the law, we signed a 5-year supply contract with them, invited key-opinion-leaders to witness the signature, and the donation of 1Million€ for farmers’ seeds preservation.

We chose the illegal path to make sure we’d be heard by key-opinion-leaders, the public, and politicians up to Brussels where decisions are made. It was the first time a retailer broke the law to make it change.

The campaign was pre-launched on September 19th, with an exclusive « illegal dinner » inviting KOLs and journalists to discover these delicious illegal varieties. They witnessed the signature of the illegal 5-year supply contract with our producers, and the donation of 1Million€ to our biodiversity fund for farmers’ seeds preservation. We launched our petition during the event, so KOLs would be the first signatories and the first to share the petition. It allowed us to rally powerful ambassadors: journalists, chefs - usually critical of the retail industry - to fuel the conversation.

On September 20th, our illegal BlackSupermarkets opened in our stores nationally, allowing the public to discover and support the cause. Our web film - starring our illegal producers - revealed and explained the importance of farmers’ seeds preservation to all. Our producers lent their voice on as many media outlets as we could, asking to sign the petition.

The BlackSupermarket hacked the conversation on the French National Food Forum and generated a national debate. Every eveningnews and major newspaper covered the campaign (France 2, M6, LCI, Libération, Marianne, Les Echos, Le Parisien…). Public figures joined our fight: prominent chefs, journalists, farmers’ syndicates. The campaign generated 300M+ earned media impressions. It was impossible to ignore the issue anymore.

The Public was baffled to discover this absurd law. They bought the illegal goods en masse (70tons) and signed our petition (+85000 signatures).

Finally, public mobilization changed the law. A law proposal was introduced in November2017, and on April19th 2018, the European Parliament ratified a new regulation on organic agriculture (Procedure 2014/0100(COD)) reauthorizing sale and cultivation of farmers’ seeds, now recognized as our agricultural heritage, essential to biodiversity and public health. It will apply in2021, after 40years of prohibition. BlackSupermarkets remain open until European law is duly implemented nationally.

Changing European laws is an impossible mission when you’re up against the agrochemical lobby. We could have chosen the legal way: submit a bill, work our way up the bureaucratie, and wait years to see it crushed by lobbies. But after 40 years of prohibition and dozens of draft laws had been rejected in total indifference of the media, we chose the most unconventional, noisiest way, the illegal way.

To get maximum awareness, we opened our BlackSupermarkets during the French National Food Forum, a major government summit reuniting politicians and the food industry. We first targeted KOLs, and rallied powerful allies among chefs, philosophers and prominent journalists, to put farmers’ seeds on the public agenda. We then targeted the general public to create a plebiscite for the cause and bend the political agenda. Our strategy was simple, against lobbies working behind closed doors, we chose to act in plain sight.

Since the 90s, Carrefour has fought for a more sustainable agriculture for consumers’ health, farmers, and the planet. We’re the first generalist retailer of organic products in France and the first retailer to forbid GMOs in our stores in 1996. We see our leadership position as a responsibility to advance food quality for everyone. But when the law stands in the way of our mission, the law must change.

Problem: 90% of farmable varieties have already disappeared worldwide since the 20th century. A disaster for biodiversity, producers, and consumers. Among the rest, only 3% are allowed. Why? Because an absurd European law forbids all « farmers’ varieties », our grand-parents' ancestral varieties. They would be a tremendous asset for the development of organic agriculture. But only hybrid, pesticide-resistant seeds - patented by the agro-chemical industry - are authorized.

Brief: At the time of the General Assembly on Food, use Carrefour's leadership power to focus the debate on farmers’ seeds, reveal this environmental issue to all and mobilize the public to influence the political agenda.

Objective: Change European laws to reauthorize farmers’ seeds, in order to preserve biodiversity for future generations, improve food quality for consumers, and restore farmers' rights.