Environment
A sustainable model
We are particularly concerned with countering prejudices regarding the impact of the livestock and meat sector on the environment. We are working towards a transition and support towards a more sustainable model. Our sector also contributes to certain environmental balances in our ecosystem.
Autonomy and connection to the soil
Our herbivore farms are very much linked to the soil insofar as they are able to produce most of the feed for their herds and to recycle most of the manure on the forage surfaces surrounding the farm
Maintain biodiversity
This connection with the soil also allows the use of about 12.5 million grasslands, which contribute to the preservation of our landscapes and their biodiversity.
80% of the feed ration of French beef breeds is made up of this grass, the remaining 20% is made up of other fodder, cereals and protein crops rich in nutrients (corn, alfalfa, etc.). The share of soya in this diet is minimal, or even zero (0.8%).
Reduce the ecological footprint
Mitigating the impact of CO2 emissions
Cattle farming accounts for 10% of French greenhouse gas emissions, but it is also one of the few sectors to store carbon in its soils thanks to unploughed permanent grasslands and regular inputs of organic matter through manure.
This massive storage of CO2 makes it possible to mitigate the impacts of the sector on climate change while preserving water quality and biodiversity.
The French beef industry is also committed to the LIFE BEEF CARBON programme to reduce its carbon footprint by 15% over the next 10 years.
High degree of autonomy in water consumption
Almost 95% of the water consumed for cattle farming comes from green water, i.e. rainwater that falls on the meadows without being able to replenish the water table. The remaining 5% comes almost equally from blue water (river) and grey water (pollution control).
Our sustainability efforts
We are involved in several initiatives to reduce our impact on the environment for a more sustainable development.
CAP2ER Program
CAP2ER (Calcul Automatisé des Performances Environnementales en Elevage de Ruminants) is a programme that allows those involved in livestock farming to assess the environmental footprint of a farm and to identify the margins for progress.)
We are committed to raising the awareness of our suppliers and encourage all our breeders to participate in this programme in order to accelerate the ecological transition of breeding models.
- Draw up a carbon balance sheet to situate the farm in relation to similar production systems
- Reduce the environmental impact and committing to the low-carbon transition
- Communicate on commitments and the business
- Improve technical and economic performance and meet national objectives and societal expectations
This is a long and complex process involving numerous constraints, particularly financial. The success of this transition will depend on our willingness, and the one of consumers, to accept the additional costs of the sector so as to guarantee the production of quality French beef, both on its own territory as well as for a wider promotion of its know-how beyond the borders.
In this regard, the Livestock and Meat sector was the first in the agri-food sector to be certified by AFNOR in this approach via the "Committed to CSR" label with a confirmed level of 3 out of 4.
Wastewater treatment
We have our own wastewater treatment plant and work every year on limiting our discharges.
CITEO - EcoEmballage system
We are members of the CITEO EcoEmballage programme.
Citeo is a non-profit company created by companies in the consumer goods and distribution sector to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging and paper, by proposing solutions for reduction, reuse, sorting and recycling. 70% of household packaging and 60% of paper are recycled thanks to the sorting gesture of the French, which has become the first eco-citizen gesture.
Participation in this programme allows us to regularly reflect on how we think about the packaging of the products we put on the market in households and their level of recyclability.
Valorisation of by-products
For us, waste is limited to a minimum. We constantly strive to find outlets that enable us to recover all organic matter that cannot be used for human consumption. This recovery allows us to enhance the value of our entire Livestock and Meat sector.
For example, we work in collaboration with methanisation companies (biological process of degradation of organic matter which allows the production of greener energy) as well as horticultural companies (valorisation of land application).
Towards a reduction of energy consumption
We regularly monitor all our energy consumption (water, electricity, gas). We plan our investment campaigns by systematically measuring their impact on energy. In 2016, we benefited from a €2.3 million green loan from the BPI (Banque Publique d'Investissement) for investments in industrial equipment and processes to reduce our energy consumption.
Over the last 4 years (2018-2021), we have also carried out a €2.4 million investment campaign on our facilities as part of the energy saving certificate scheme in order to optimise our cold chain and hot water production systems (cycles that are essential for food safety and hygiene) via heat recovery processes.
Moving towards paperless processes
We work every day with the aim of limiting our paper consumption. In 2017, we invested in a latest-generation ERP system that allows us to integrate/generate all production data for computerisation (technical data sheets, work programmes, bills of material, price management, etc.) and their retrieval ("business intelligence"). In 2019, we invested in an EDM (Electronic Document Management) solution to digitalise all incoming commercial documents for the implementation of fully digitalised internal validation chains ("WorkFlow"). Year after year, we encourage both our customers and our suppliers to communicate their commercial information via EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) flows and to move towards a digital signature of contracts.
A permanent reflection
The issue of sustainable development is discussed at least twice a year by our CSR Steering Committee in order to suggest more solutions for a more sustainable future
