Antibiotic-free pig supply schemes in France: a lever for valorisation and progress

Abstract. The European project ROADMAP promotes transitions for prudent and responsible antimicrobial use in livestock farming. In this project, we analysed the antibiotic (AB)-free schemes in pig industry in France. In addition to documentary research, our analysis was based on interviews in 2020 with 18 breeders, half of them in an AB-free scheme, and 12 veterinarians or quality managers. In the early 2010s, the French pig sector started to develop AB free private schemes to meet the demand of some retailers and to communicate on the efforts made by the breeders. In the absence of a collective and standardized response, these specifications have proliferated as a way for companies to stand out from their competitors and improve their image. Unlike GMO-free, the AB-free claim is not subject to any legal definition, leading to very diverse specifications and labelling. The specifications are evolving, in a process of progress. The claim ‘AB-free from 42 days’ is being replaced or supplemented by ‘since birth’. It is always included in a more global communication including animal welfare, environment protection, etc. In 2020, the AB-free lines represent about 15% of French pig production. This market is ‘mature’. The first motivation of breeders to enter a scheme is economic: they perceive a bonus, which varies according to the constraints and their degree of supply from their cooperative. They also appreciate the security of prices and outlets. According to them, the AB-free scheme makes it possible to promote their existing good practices of AB low use, without necessarily being the trigger for change. Breeders are also motivated to restore ‘the image of breeding’ and to ‘produce a more rewarding product’. The commitment of the breeder in an AB-free line is materialized by a contract of 3 to 5 years which fixes the volume of pigs and the added value. Depending on the scheme, pigs treated with an antibiotic benefit or not from the bonus. This can lead the farmer not to treat sick pigs properly, a problem raised in the interviews. Thanks to changes in regulations, vet prescriptions and breeders practices, antibiotics use in the French pork sector fell by 55% between 2011 and 2020. The creation of the AB-free private specifications has made it possible to promote this strong reduction.