Translations

COCORETTE chooses responsible production and development of local employment

1. Organizational Governance

Strategy and organization

Sector Agriculture

Year 2014

Country France

Transmitter

Context

In the 1980s, agricultural production became heavily industrialized: egg production increasingly relied on battery cages (the hens are kept in small cages without daylight, laying eggs on automatic belts with constant light to accelerate production). When launching Cocorette in 1983 at Sainte Catherine-les-Arras (62), the founders wanted to return to traditional practices, by offering consumers quality eggs produced on the farm. Today, with its 53 employees at its headquarters, Cocorette distributes farm eggs under the Red Label (Label Rouge) and eggs from Organic Agriculture. The criteria of animal well-being and CSR were applied progressively since the launch of the enterprise and today form the basis of its development.

Objectives

Offering consumers quality eggs produced under conditions that respect the environment and the well-being of the animal.
Preserve local employment
Preserve the environment

APPROACH

From the beginning, the enterprise strategy has been based on the production of eggs on the farm. Today, Cocorette runs a production and distribution channel for farm eggs of high quality thanks to its network of small producers grouped by region. COCORETTE has established a list of specifications for these producers, who commit to respecting best production practices, animal well-being and respect of the environment. Based on the small size of the farms, this list of specifications remains in application today (2012) and was recognized officially in 1998 with the awarding of the “farm eggs *” appellation by France’s Ministry of Agriculture. The enterprise also signs with each producer a 10-year contract guaranteeing the latter egg prices indexed to food prices. COCORETTE runs a profitable and sustainable activity with 400 farms, offering its farmers additional revenues thanks to complementary activities and favoring the maintenance or creation of local employment. Its focus on animal well-being guarantees eggs of high nutritional quality for the consumer, by taking concrete actions with the producers.Cocorette also works to protect the environment:- Generating value from wastes- Treatment of the poultry by phytotherapy and homeopathy- Actions to reduce transport: 200kms maximum from the producer to the consumer after going through the packaging center- Renovation of old farm buildings or incentives for sustainable construction in wood- 1st center for branding of cartons by laser- Development of food production at the farm with the farmer’s own cereals * Certification of ‘‘farm eggs’‘- Basic feed is 70% cereals and derivatives (husk of the bran)- Laying in straw nests and hand-picking of eggs- Farms of small sizes (max 3,500 birds)- Free-ranging hens