While relations between Lactalis and Savencia and their producers are marked by recurring tensions, Bel displays a contrarian approach in the milk industry. The manufacturer of The Laughing Cowyou Kiriof the Babybel or even Boursin has, in fact, renewed for the 8th consecutive year a partnership maintained since 2017 with its breeders, and to increase its purchase price of milk, the volume collected as well as its ambitions to decarbonize the sector.
“This shows that co-building a local and properly paid sector is possible,” says Anne-Sophie Carrier, dgeneral director of Bel France.
A partnership since 2017
Every year since 2017, Bel and the producers' association which supplies it with all the milk processed in France, the APBO (Association of Producers Bel of the West) together define the conditions of this partnership for the coming year, in particular the price and volume of milk purchases. In 2025, both will be revalued.
Milk prices: Bel’s “win-win” system with breeders
To support the good momentum of the group's brands (+3% in total in volume in large and medium-sized supermarkets (GMS), and +10% for Laughing Cow alone), 10 million additional liters of milk compared to 2024 will be collected by Bel in France, reaching 431 million. The average price of conventional 38/32 milk will increase by 29 euros, going from 456 euros per 1,000 liters in 2024 to 485 euros. The price of organic milk will increase from 525 to 550 euros per 1,000 liters.
Revalued workforce
The increase in the price of milk will be driven in particular by two factors. The first will be the revaluation of the price of labor. Since 2023, in fact, it has been included in Bel's milk price formula, alongside production costs, which do not normally include it. Compared to 2024, it has just been increased by 21.7%.
The second factor in the increase in the price of milk will be the bonuses linked to farm decarbonization initiatives. Thanks to the partnership with Bel, the 670 breeders who are members of the APBO have, in fact, already partially improved the sustainability of their practices: all their dairy cows are fed without GMOs (<0.9%), and spend at least 150 days per year to pastures.
The challenge of the new agreement is to accelerate their transition, thanks to the integration of eight new optional levers for reducing their carbon impact, each associated with a bonus (land cover, zero deforestation, installation of hedges, etc.).
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Up to 25 euros for sustainable practices
The system will be deployed from June 1, 2025. According to Bel, this will allow breeders on average to obtain bonuses of 12 euros per 1,000 liters, and up to 25 euros.
“The maximum price for the year 2025 could thus rise to €502 / 1000 L for the most advanced farms in terms of decarbonization”, Bel calculates. “This development will make it possible to promote the many more sustainable practices already implemented by breeders on their farms for several years, and to support the development of new practices”, hopes the industrialist.
“The challenge now is to support our model with distributors in the context of upcoming commercial negotiations, as well as to promote it to consumers,” observes Anne-Sophie Carrier, for whom “both are nevertheless increasingly sensitive to it.”
