By 2025, all the eggs produced, sold or used by the Avril Group will come solely from French livestock units where the laying hens are reared in barns (code 2) or under free-range (code 1) or organic conditions (code 0). So as to ensure that this transition is achieved responsibly and efficiently, the Avril Group is committed to supporting its partner livestock farmers in the context of a conversion plan that takes account of the specific features of each farm.
While on 4 October 2018, Matines announced its commitment to alternative eggs by 2025, the Avril Group is now broadening this commitment to all its egg-related activities, which include:
- The production and sale by Ovoteam of egg-based products for actors in the agrifood industry and the out-of-home dining and bakery-viennoiserie-pâtisserie sectors.
- The production and sale by Lesieur of mayonnaise products for the out-of-home dining sector. Since January 2011, all Lesieur mayonnaises available in major retail outlets have been made using eggs from hens reared under free-range conditions.
- The in-house production and sale by Avril of shell eggs.
This commitment results from a partnership with CIWF (Compassion in World Farming), a NGO dedicated to farm animal welfare, which supports the Avril group in its transition towards alternative eggs.
Avril’s commitment to alternative eggs should be seen in the context of constant dialog with its partner livestock farmers. It is based on taking account of their constraints and concerns, such as changes to the expectations of the Group’s customers and consumers.
Through its gradual and concerted commitment, Avril aims to favor a responsible and efficient transition towards alternative eggs that will preserve the diversity of French livestock farming, its role in the equilibrium of rural areas and its contribution to France’s food sovereignty without the need for imports and while ensuring exemplary traceability and safety.