News The Green Way
De Groene Weg sets up a chain of organic beef
A quarter of the organic calves grow up to be organic dairy cows. The rest mainly ends up in traditional veal farming. This is a problem for organic dairy farmers. The Green Way wants to change this by setting up an organic beef chain.
Allard Bakker, CEO of organic meat concern De Groene Weg, tells in the trade magazine De Kalverhouder that the tide is turning. "It is a problem for organic dairy farmers that they do their job neatly, but that the calf that leaves their company is not kept in an organic way. With the current political and social discussion about veal farming, this is becoming more apparent. pick this up now."
In the Netherlands, approximately 30 to 40.000 organic calves are born every year, 25% of which remain on the dairy farm. 90% of the bulls that are sold go to regular veal farming. The remaining 10% goes mainly to Ecofields, where organic calves are kept.
Dairy chain is bigger
Bakker: "We have the philosophy that the dairy chain is more than just producing milk on the farm, then making cheese or other products from it and selling it in the supermarket. The dairy chain is larger and meat is also part of this. We want the dairy chain to contribute, so that the milk from the organic dairy farmer yields one to two cents more if the bull calves are raised in an organic way."
De Groene Weg also sees opportunities for veal farmers to produce organic veal. This does mean that the animals have to walk outside and stand on straw in the stable. A new European organic regulation will also come into effect from 1 January 2022, which stipulates that organic beef cattle kept in stables must have an outdoor area.
Rianne Nieuwenhuize
© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.
