France’s Groupe Avril has announced the death of chairman Xavier Beulin.

The agri-food business described the death of the 58-year-old Beulin, who was also chairman of French farmers union, the FNSEA, as “sudden”.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

“Xavier Beulin will be remembered as a committed man who worked tirelessly for the development of French Agriculture, always in the service of the general interest, as evidenced by his action in the union movement, which led him to the chairmanship of the FNSEA,” Avril said in a statement.

“His passing is an irreplaceable loss for his family and friends, for the FNSEA and France’s agriculture as a whole, for which he fought so hard, as well as for the Avril community, of which he was so proud.  Our first thoughts are with his family, especially his wife and children, to whom we offer our most sincere condolences.”

Beulin had been chairman of the forerunner of Avril, the French agri-food business Sofiproteol. In January 2015, Sofiproteol reorganised its business structure – moves that included changing its name to Groupe Avril – as it looked to accelerate its growth.

The owner of brands including Lesieur cooking oil and Matines eggs became a joint-stock partnership, managed by a partner company.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact