Over 95% of the milk produced in France comes from farms which adhere to the Charter of Best Practices in Animal Farming.
inspection every 2 to 3 years per farm by an animal farming technician.
This charter was created 20 years ago as a tool for development and progress in farming practices.
It involves respecting over 40 standards: the traceability and identification of animals, herd health, feeding quality, milk quality control, hygiene best practices, animal welfare and health, environmental compliance…
An auditing system ensures the smooth functioning of the programme at all levels Over 95% of French dairy farms adhere to the Charter of Best Practices.
Animals are to be permanently identified by their number; they are to carry a tag on each ear, and have a personal passport which follows them through their whole life. The supervision of each animals is thus ensured from its birth until it leaves the farm.
A cow in good health produces the best quality of milk. The farmer is to take good care of his animals: he is to use medication prescribed by a veterinarian and makes note of all treatments. The farmer will respect the legally binding precautions, of which there are many in France, in order to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.
Milk quality depends on the nutrition of the cow. The farmer will ensure a balanced diet for their animals, adapted to their particular needs. They are preferably to be fed produce grown on the farm. If they have been purchased, the farmer must know where they come from and their composition.
The farmer is responsible for ensuring good living conditions for his cows in his barns, as well as externally, on the pastures. He is to protect them from stress and injury, so they can produce milk of good quality. He is also needs to pay attention to the safety of contractors working on his farm (technicians, veterinarians…).
The milking parlour and storage units are to be constantly kept clean. The same is true of the equipment used to milk the cows and preserve the milk. Everything is to be supervised and maintained. The farmer will closely monitor the analysis indicators of his milk throughout the year.
He will also commit to carefully managing manure and animal waste produced by his animals, so that they do not pollute waterways and are instead used to fertilise farmland. He commits to saving water and energy.