EUROTIER: Grimaud Group Presents Answer to Food Sustainability

GERMANY - Frederic Grimaud presented his company's Natural Concept at a satellite meeting to the EuroTier show in Hanover this week. The Concept aims to boost the sustainability of animal protein production in a world of growing demand and limited resources. Senior editor, Jackie Linden, reports.
calendar icon 13 November 2012
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The two core businesses of Groupe Grimaud are animal breeding and biopharmacy, explained Frederic Grimaud, the Group's CEO, at a meeting in conjunction with the EuroTier show in Hanover. The first covers genetic selection, production and sale of breeding stock to the broiler and layer chickens (Hubbard and Novogen, respectively, pigs (Choice Genetics), ducks, pigeons and guinea fowl (Grimaud Frères), rabbit (Hyfarm) and aquaculture (Blue Genetics) sectors. It is the world's second largest player in this sector.

The Biopharmacy business serves human and animal health with vaccines, pharmaceutical proteins and sera, human antibodies, specific pathogen-free animals and bacterial cultures.

Groupe Grimaud has R&D facilities and production centres at many locations in the Americas, Europe and Asia. It generates annually €245 million in turnover and royalties, of which 75 per cent is on the international market in more than 100 countries. Growing fast in all sectors, it has 1,700 employees of 30 nationalities, speaking 18 languages,

Top of the list of fundamental values driving management and business strategies is putting the customer first, said Mr Grimaud.


"Biology is at the hart of sustainable development," said Mr Grimaud, introducing the company's 'Natural Concept'. Showing how the world population is set to grow by region in 2035 and 2085, he highlighted that Asia and Africa are the areas likely to experience the most rapid growth.

Using pictures of the amount, types and cost of foods consumed each week by typical families around the world from the book, 'Hungry Planet' by Peter Menzel, he showed the transition for a staple diet of cereals and vegetables in developing countries to the diet based on processed foods consumed by families in some of the most developed economies.

While some may be calling for a return to organic farming methods to feed the growing world population, Mr Grimaud said this is not the answer to feeding a growing human population sustainably.

The 'Natural Concept' has been developed to achieve this aim. Key points of the concept, Mr Grimaud explained, are:

  1. Favour robustness and feed efficiency traits in our breeding programmes
  2. Better prevent infectious risks through bacterial ecology management in breeding environment
  3. Stimulate the immune system of the animals - natural by competition - acquired by vaccination
  4. Because they are very valuable, use the chemical "super-molecules" only in case of proven pathology or as prevention in case of major stress
  5. To give back to the Earth the necessary nutrients by the composting of the organic by-products.
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