FRANCE – Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC), a global trader and processor of farm goods, has introduced its own juice brand, Montebelo Brasil, in France.
The initiative aims to leverage LDC’s orange production in Brazil to meet the rising demand for fresh and traceable fruit juices.
As one of the world’s top three orange juice suppliers, LDC is utilizing its plantations and factories in Brazil to establish Montebelo Brasil as a market leader in fresh fruit juices in France.
The brand emphasizes the traceability of oranges, from Brazilian groves to selected retail shelves, reflecting LDC’s strategic vision to extend its reach downstream in the value chain.
Aurélien Grisval, Head of Downstream Market for Juice at LDC, stated, “Our ambition for this project is twofold: to offer a 100% natural product while ensuring traceability of the oranges, thereby establishing a connection between LDC as citrus producer in Brazil and the end consumer.”
The brand’s launch in French supermarkets last week marks the beginning of its expansion, with plans to reach 3,000 outlets by the end of the year.
LDC aims to capture a 10 percent share of the fresh juice category within three to four years, demonstrating its commitment to delivering sustainable, traceable, and high-quality products directly to consumers.
Juice sales volumes in France have faced challenges in the past year, particularly in the fresh category, due to record orange juice commodity prices and inflation affecting breakfast staples like coffee and cocoa.
The orange juice market, largely dominated by Brazil, has been further impacted by adverse weather conditions and the bacterial disease known as greening, affecting orange harvests.
According to Statista, the juices market in France is expected to grow annually by 2.51 percent (CAGR 2024-2028). At-home volume is expected to amount to 1,106.0m L by 2028. The Juices market is expected to show a volume growth of 0.7 percent in 2025.
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