Small is beautiful… but how to remain small? A case-study about the Basque swine system and its related market chain
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In the French Basque Country, a particular swine production system uses a local pig breed called“Porc Basque”. Pig production in this area is a secondary activity, taking place in very small family farms, generally associated with sheep for milk production as a primary activity. Twenty years ago, the breed was classified as endangered, with only 43 sows existing. Since then, a local development has taken place and now the total number of sows is more than 300. A very small but effective market chain has been created, positioning high-quality traditional products in specialty markets with high prices, such as salt cured ham (min. 12 months old) or shoulder. This development has had a very positive local impact. In order to strengthen it, a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) is now under study. A PDO appears to be a potentially good tool for managing sustainable local development and the link between the members of the chain.