French egg war erupts again

France’s long-simmering tensions between egg producers and major retailers have erupted once more, as the so-called “French Egg War” intensifies in 2025.

David Corredor

France’s long-simmering tensions between egg producers and major retailers have erupted once more, as the so-called “French Egg War” intensifies in 2025. At the heart of the conflict is a growing reliance on imported eggs, primarily from Poland and Ukraine, which has sparked outrage among domestic producers and fractured industry alliances.

Retail giants Carrefour and Leclerc recently began stocking imported eggs, citing an inability to meet soaring consumer demand with French supply alone.

• French egg consumption has surged to an average of 226 eggs per person annually—well above the global average of 182.
• However, national production has failed to keep pace, prompting supermarkets to look abroad.

The move has drawn sharp criticism from the French egg industry organization CNPO (Comité National pour la Promotion de l’Œuf), which argues that many of the imported eggs come from caged systems—contrary to the cage-free standards French producers were pressured to adopt by the very same retailers. This perceived double standard has fueled resentment among local farmers, who feel undermined after investing heavily in ethical production methods.

Further complicating matters is a recent dispute over the financing of ovo-sexing technology, aimed at ending the mass culling of male chicks. The conflict nearly halted egg supplies before a last-minute agreement was brokered with the help of a mediator. However, the damage to industry relations was already done.