PATIS — The French Agriculture Ministry is under scrutiny following allegations of racially motivated casting decisions for an upcoming advertisement promoting organic foods. Internal communications reveal that the office of Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard requested the production team to prioritize a “Caucasian” actor for the advertisement’s opening scene. While the emails do not explicitly state the ethnicity of the actor, a presentation from the production company featured a photo of a young actor who is not white.
Controversial changes to cultural references
In addition to the casting request, the ministry sought to replace couscous—a dish with North African roots, yet widely enjoyed in France—with cassoulet, a traditional dish from southwestern France. Such recommendations have stirred up a long-standing debate about the meaning of French identity. Although France prides itself on being a colorblind republic, where citizenship is supposed to transcend race, gender, and religion, the reality is often much more intricate. This complexity renders Genevard’s office’s casting suggestion particularly contentious.
Industry reactions and adaptations
Genevard’s office acknowledged the recommendations while asserting that their public relations campaign “aims to speak to everyone.”
The ministry’s requests have sparked some pushback from industry professionals, with one representative expressing that they felt “perplexed and even uncomfortable” during the email discussions. While the culinary change from couscous to cassoulet was implemented, the specific casting suggestion was ultimately not pursued. Other recommendations, deemed less controversial, included alterations to the titles of various clips, substituting olive oil with sunflower oil, and replacing orange and avocado smoothies with zucchini-based alternatives.
The advertisement is scheduled to debut on May 22, amidst growing discussions regarding representation and cultural sensitivity in media.