The Colas farm, located in Livre-la-Touche in the North of Mayenne, set itself a challenge, two years after its creation: it will display its carbon footprint on its yoghurts. “We are the first producers of farm or industrial yoghurts to display it to the consumer“, rejoices Léo Colas, producer on the farm.
“The whole production chain”
He is launching this initiative within his network of farm producers, Invitation à la ferme. “The calculation that we have made starts from the beginning, from the production of fodder for the animals, until the end, at the delivery to the stores.says Léo Colas. We are therefore talking about the entire production chain and we are comparing ourselves to the average yogurt in France.“
30% less than the national average
For Ferme Colas, this means show their consumers their very good results. “We are better than the national average in terms of carbon footprint, on average 30% less.“Because, in particular, of its short delivery distances : on average 80 km around the farm. The carbon balance of the farm also takes into account the dairy cows themselves, which, as we know, contribute enormously to the total balance of a farm. “We are also in the process of setting up a methanisation collection with other farmers in order to participate in the reduction of the carbon footprint“, adds Leo Colas.
Sales beyond expectations
Two years after its birth, the Colas Farm has a satisfactory balance sheet. “Lhe volumes sold exceeded our expectations for this second year, says Léo Colas. We have had very good feedback from customers, despite at first glance some resistance to the idea of some consumers when we talk to them about farm-raised yoghurts.”
Even if the organic tends to decline slightly this year, due to the decline in purchasing power, Léo Colas ensures that the local always has the wind in its sails. “People are more and more interested in the local, since the Covid crisis we know it but also given the current events, they realize that it is not viable to be so dependent on the outside.“