Belgium/Perwez: cooperatives for local, sustainable and fair-trade consumption

Encouraging citizens to consume local agricultural and food products: that's the aim of an awareness-raising campaign just launched by SPF Economie. Consumers are invited to get involved in building a fairer, more sustainable agricultural system.

In Walloon Brabant, several cooperatives are already taking part in this movement, as in Perwez, where we visited on Friday.

En direct de mon élevageis a cooperative that supports eco-responsible family farming. Based in Perwez, it brings together around a hundred Walloon cattle breeders. "We launched our project after the Veviba crisis, in Bastogne, around six years ago," explains Mathieu Perreaux, administrator of the agricultural cooperative. "Our aim was to regain control of the production process in the beef sector. We wanted to reduce the number of intermediaries and, above all, ensure perfect traceability of the production chain". Transparency, local production, quality and fair remuneration are the values of this agri-food community.

A stone's throw away, another cooperative: CultivAéand its 120 local producers of cereals for bakers, brewers and other food processors. A labelled and certified process. Co-founder Nicolas Verschuere explains that the project's ambition is to accelerate the transition to regenerative, low-carbon, healthy and fair farming. "Regenerative means that the farmer regenerates the soil. This makes it possible to produce more and better, locally. We also advocate higher-quality, local cereal crops that respect the grower. In fact, it's entirely possible to better reward the farmer without increasing the consumer's final bill". One of the keys to this formula lies in reducing the number of intermediaries between producer and consumer.

These models of local, healthy, sometimes organic and fairer production are already convincing some consumers. "It's better for health, the environment, local producers and also for taste", says one consumer.
We still need to win over other "consom'actors" who care about their health, the environment and our Belgian producers.
Finally, let's pinpoint this piece of advice from the FPS Economy's "Buy consciously" national awareness campaign: "Read the labels! That way, you'll be fully aware of what you're buying and eating".

Source: www.rtbf.be/article