The temptation of the tomato

It has not left my supermarket shelf all winter, even occupying a royal place over several linear meters. A real red carpet… However, four years ago, when the first confinement began, how many oaths did we not make in favor of local and seasonal food! Alas, data from the statistical service of the Ministry of Agriculture shows that the French have become accustomed to eating summer vegetables all year round.

As tomatoes produced in France in heated greenhouses are only marketed from March-April, the volumes of imported tomatoes are increasing; 73% of them come from Morocco (Kantar study on 2021-2023). French farmers are right to question us about our responsibilities. If we knew how to wait for the tomatoes to come out of the ground in our latitudes, our trade balance would be better off.

And on the other side of the Mediterranean, water resources would be a little more preserved: Moroccans are currently experiencing a dramatic water shortage, caused in part by irrigation crops.

I know how hard it is to resist the temptation of tomatoes. Especially when we try to persuade you that it is essential for making a hamburger or decorating a salad. Come on, have a little more patience, summer is not so far away! And the reunion with the tomato queen will be even tastier.