Eureden is optimistically and enthusiastically committed to imagining an ever more responsible model of agriculture and affordable, high-quality food.
With this in mind, four progress groups are innovating and working on improving approaches, such as reducing the use of phytosanitary products, improving animal welfare, developing local protein crops and increasing the number of women in agriculture.
Launched in February 2020, Cultivons Autrement aims to do everything in its power to limit the use and impact of phytosanitary products while maintaining profitability and margins at a healthy level for farmers and ensuring financial balance for the Eureden co-operative.
To achieve this, an ambitious action plan is being rolled out until 2025.
How do you maintain or even improve yields while using fewer phytosanitary products? This is the challenge that the 12 groups of farmers (180 members), spread across the whole of Brittany, are trying to meet with the support of four leaders and numerous experts in agronomy, equipment, crops, etc. as part of the Ecophyto plan. These agricultural progress groups are among the many actions implemented following the “Cultivons Autrement” reflection process initiated two years ago.
Through its staff and farmers, Eureden is committed to continuing to improve the welfare of livestock while guaranteeing sound, sustainable business models for farmers and the value chains. Raising livestock well to feed people well is our daily mission.
For several years now, we have been in collaboration with Welfarm and CIWF, NGOs dedicated to livestock welfare. Together with Welfarm, we have developed a new model for raising laying hens with a winter garden. This winter garden allows the hens to enjoy the natural light, scratch the ground, peck at straw bales, take “dust baths” and roost. A similar concept has been developed in turkey farms and broiler farms.
These more virtuous farming methods are also more expensive. They can therefore only develop if consumer markets can be found that accept these additional costs. This is one of the missions of the co-operative and the downstream branches of the Eureden Group. Our “raised with passion” approach is co-run by farmers elected by their peers and by employees from the upstream and downstream branches of the co-operative. In parallel to this specific approach, Eureden is also involved in the association LIT Ouesterel (of which it is a founding member), which aims to improve animal health and welfare.
Through the Prod’Ici progress initiative, the Agriculture branch is innovating in the field of locally produced and environmentally friendly proteins.
This progress approach is being undertaken in response to the dependence of national and Breton animal production on the import of protein-rich plant matter (> 15% of digestible crude protein). On a national scale, almost 40% of protein-rich materials for animal consumption are imported. This protein dependence raises four major issues for the co-operative and for Breton livestock farms:
To meet this challenge, the Eureden co-operative is working on the competitiveness of protein “Made in France” by mobilising all available levers from the field to the plate:
At a time when agriculture and our value chains are undergoing major changes, the Eureden co-operative firmly believes it is essential that greater consideration be paid to gender diversity within our co-operative. We have created a think tank composed of male and female Eureden farmers so they may collaborate on actions to bring women together and make them want to get involved in the life of their co-operative. This think tank is the Par’celles group.
It is a network to unite initiatives around the representation of women farmers at Eureden, but above all, it is a space for discussion, to listen and better take into account the needs of Eureden’s female farmers.
This diversity enriches our co-operative and offers a wider perspective. Men and women are complementary and must join forces to meet the challenges ahead.
