La Route du Lait
DRIVING AN AMBITIOUS INITIATIVE
100% of our producers are committed.
IN La Route du Lait
Launched in 1998, La Route du Lait is our continuous improvement approach for farming practices, focusing on quality and sustainable development.
100% of our producers are committed to the initiative, supported by our 66 dairy advisors. Continuously evolving, this approach is built around seven key focus areas and incorporates societal developments across the dairy sector: traceability, health, animal welfare, feeding, milk hygiene and quality, social sustainability, and the environment.
La Route du Lait
IS MADE UP OF THREE STAGES.
They reflect the best practices implemented by farmers and encourage them to continuously improve.
Farmers are assessed every three years by advisors during an on‑farm audit visit, and an action plan is established based on the points classified as ‘not validated’ or ‘areas for improvement’.
- Level 1 corresponds to the Charter of Good Farming Practices (Charte des Bonnes Pratiques d’Élevage), which sets progress objectives for the entire dairy sector. Every litre of milk produced in France is covered by this level.
- Levels 2 and 3 are Sodiaal‑specific criteria aimed at meeting higher standards.
- La Route du Lait represents a robust quality management system, certified by AFNOR in accordance with the NFV01‑007 standard.
- Since 2019, La Route du Lait Connectée has provided full visibility into farming practices through a combination of the physical La Route du Lait audit, a farm profile completed by the farmer detailing the structure of the farm (herd, buildings, etc.), and an annual online self‑assessment of practices (herd management, feeding, etc.), including the SelfCO₂ self‑assessment, which enables the calculation of the farm’s carbon footprint.
- La Route du Lait is built on the shared inter‑professional foundation, the Charter of Good Farming Practices, which, since its updated 2022 version, includes an animal welfare assessment (BoviWell). At Sodiaal, we have already been working with this framework since 2019, with 28.5% of farms benefiting from this support by the end of 2021. Beyond the topics covered by this assessment, a total of 79 questions are audited in the new 2022 version.
- By the end of 2021, 81% of our member farmers had reached stages 2 and 3 of La Route du Lait, meaning they go beyond regulatory requirements and the sector’s baseline good practices, compared with 78% in 2020 and 72% in 2019.
- La Route du Lait also addresses awareness‑raising topics to help our farmers prepare for the future, while offering a point of differentiation aligned with our cooperative model.
Progress
IN 3 STAGES
The foundation: the Charter of Good Farming Practices (CBPE). It is a nationally recognised framework.
The Sodiaal advantage: helping producers stay one step ahead while offering customers differentiated products.
Preparing for the future: raising farmers’ awareness of issues that will be key tomorrow.
A Certified and Recognised
APPROACH
The farm audit is carried out every three years by an accredited advisor trained in both the Charter and La Route du Lait.
Thanks to La Route du Lait Connectée, Sodiaal farm data is shared by farmers and regularly updated (at least once a year).
Advisors are trained and accredited by the regional coordinating body, with regular renewal of their accreditation.
All Sodiaal advisors receive specific training on La Route du Lait, in addition to their training on the Charter of Good Farming Practices (CBPE).
Together, farmers and advisors define an action plan when necessary in order to achieve the objectives set. Combined with the CBPE, La Route du Lait helps build trust among customers and consumers regarding farming practices, while supporting farmers in a dynamic of continuous improvement.
*2024 figures