Without decent incomes, there can be no sustainable transition. Today, the Belgian beef sector faces multiple challenges.
Decent Incomes for a Sustainable Sector
Without decent incomes, there can be no sustainable transition. Today, the Belgian beef sector faces multiple challenges: cost volatility, international competition, and new consumer expectations. To ensure farm sustainability, it is essential to secure value at the farm level through fair prices, cooperation, better cost control, and new contracting models.
Understanding Costs to Act More Effectively
Even though prices paid to producers have risen in recent years, profitability remains fragile. Between feed, energy, labor, and compliance with standards, a large share of value is absorbed by costs. In this context, the concept of a fair price takes on full meaning: it should truly cover production costs, properly remunerate labor, and allow for investment, while remaining competitive with imports. Certain initiatives, such as mirror clauses, seek to ensure fair competition and protect food sovereignty.
Valuing working time, breaking down costs by enterprise or unit, monitoring margins, and analyzing batches provide a clear view of performance and facilitate dialogue with buyers. This transparency also helps identify areas for improvement: feed self-sufficiency, ration optimization, work organization, energy choices, and input reduction. These strategies stabilize the farm and strengthen the credibility of investment plans.
The ‘Fair Producer Price’ Label: Transparency and Fairness
The label, promoted by the Collège des Producteurs, offers a fair-trade approach tailored to livestock farming. Based on fifteen criteria, it relies on price transparency, multiyear contracts, prompt payments, and independent certification. The objective is simple: share value more evenly, provide greater visibility for investment, and raise buyers’ awareness of the true cost of agricultural products 1.
Cooperating to Capture More Value from Production
More and more livestock farmers are choosing to cooperate to regain control of the value chain. Some cooperatives have invested in their own cutting facilities, financed by producers, yielding a per‑head premium, enhanced traceability, and direct relationships with distributors. Other farms favor forage autonomy and group marketing, communicating directly with consumers. These hybrid models—between cooperatives and private companies—professionalize sales, save time, and capture more value.
Technical Advantages of the Belgian Sector
The Belgian sector has undeniable technical strengths. The Blanc‑Bleu Belge breed is renowned for its carcass yield and feed efficiency. By promoting grass and agri‑food by‑products, farmers contribute to a circular economy that reduces dependence on imported inputs. This is reinforced by a high level of veterinary expertise, which supports competitiveness while addressing sustainability issues.
Going Further
Economic tools—cost calculations, dashboards, and feedback from cooperatives—help secure value at the farm and strengthen resilience.
Note: Campaign co‑financed by the European Union.
1 Ces chiffres du Collège des Producteurs concernent uniquement les éleveurs. Au total, environ 520 producteurs sont labellisés pour un chiffre d’affaires de 50 millions d’euros
https://collegedesproducteurs.be/prix-juste-producteur/#trouver-produits-prix-juste
