SUSTAINABILITY
The comfort, welfare and safety of our employees and the protection of health and the environment are the permanent priorities of us all. We invest in farms in an aim to protect the environment, to promote animal well-being and to ensure the best working conditions possible.
GREATER AUTOMATION FOR BETTER WELL-BEING
When we modernise our plants, we integrate technologies that enable us to limit repetitive movements and lighten the physical loads handled by our employees. By integrating AGV (automated guiding vehicles), our stacker cranes can automatically load high storage racks and help to significantly reduce the risk of work-related MSDs.
OUR COMMITMENTS TO AGRO-ECOLOGY
MEADOW MILK
We have been producing certified meadow milk for a number of years now. To obtain certification, milking cows need to be allowed to graze naturally in meadows for at least 120 days per year. Our cows actually stay in the meadows for much longer than the required 120 days. The moderate and humid coastal climate in Cotentin guarantees lush and verdant grass for our cows to enjoy for a good part of the year.
ORGANIC FARMING
Some of our farms are certified organic and many others are in the process of adopting organic methods. We independently produce milk on our farms without the use of input: Everything is produced naturally using methods that are respectful of the environment.
The herds feed primarily on fodder that is almost always produced at the farm itself and we never use pesticides, synthetic chemical fertilizers or GMOs.
We ensure the well-being of our animals by implementing preventive measures. But if any of our cows do fall ill, we prefer to first consult specialists in alternative medicines, such as aromatherapy or homeopathy.
Our herds have access to land that is managed using a suitable rotational programme.
RESPECTING CONSUMERS, ANIMALS AND NATURE
We love our animals and we endeavour to ensure their well-being. Our cows live in the best environment for their metabolism: their natural habitat. We have been on these lands for generations and know how to live in harmony with our environment, protecting its flora and fauna to ensure a high level of biodiversity. Every day we help to preserve the quality of our region’s bocage and soil. Protecting our environment ensures also the consumer the healthiest and best quality milk. And that makes us very proud!
GOVERNANCE
When it comes to industrial hygiene and food safety, good practices have been integrated into every stage of our production process; milk collection, milk storage, pasteurisation, processing, sterilisation, packaging, end-product storage and delivery.
REDUCED CARBON FOOTPRINT
Our technologies have been proven environmentally friendly. Arriving at our main site through a pipeline, natural gas is used to provide energy, a much cleaner resource than fuel oil.
We recover residual energy through widespread steam circuits and our plant equipment is certified by the DREAL, the French Regional Directorate for Environment, Development and Housing, which regularly inspects the premises.
CLEAN OPERATION
The equipment was designed to be Cleaned-in-Place (CIP). The inside of tanks, pipes and machines are cleaned using a special solution which is kept and reused, thus reducing water consumption and the use of chemical products. We use basic unprocessed molecules for cleaning such as caustic soda and nitric acid, and no other detergent or surfactant.
Waste water treatment: we treat all our waste water at our own water treatment plant.
SAVING RESOURCES
We have implemented processes to reduce water consumption and all our plants use exclusively low-energy LED lighting.
SHORTER DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS
When it comes to industrial hygiene and food safety, good practices have been integrated into every stage of our production process; milk collection, milk storage, pasteurisation, processing, sterilisation, packaging, end-product storage and delivery.
Our plants are located in the same area as the farms, meaning vehicles only need to travel a short distance to collect the milk:
most of the farms are within 50km of a plant.
Our employees also live in the vicinity of their workplace, and most of our suppliers come from the immediate area or region.
We regularly conduct quality audits on our suppliers to ensure that they adhere to food safety standards and our social responsibility policy.
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
As mutual aid is one of the founding values of a cooperative, we work with humanitarian organisations on a daily basis and donate 200 tonnes of end products to the underprivileged every year.
