Re-conversion to organic farming, between organic rules and agro-food chain referential : how to fit out the organic fattening referential ?

Summary

In the Belgian context, characterized by a strong referential of lean and tender Belgian Blue cattle meat, we explain how the organic principles and rules are translated in practices and we highlight the tensions emerging when the re-conversion to organic frame takes place in agro-food chain. From this starting point, we explain how we have defined, in the context of a research-action following the introduction of “intermittent consumer concept”, an experimentation to explore ‘how organic conversion can question the basic concepts of the conventional referential ?’.
In this experiment, four feeding strategies, to say two concentrate levels (65 and 55 %) crossed with two diets distribution strategies, are compared in terms of animal performances. The results highlight the absence of concentrate impact while diet distribution strategy plays a significant role on animal performances and intake. An important result lies in the observation of a determinant impact of animal learning to such unusual feeding practices.
For the organic cattle meat food chain, the main output lies in the demonstration that it is possible to reduce bull fattening scheme intensity to be closer to organic rules while conserving the control of the performances. However, what is the advantage to pursuit bulls fattening, at the limit of organic rules, instead of more extensive alternatives like heifers, steers ...?