You have been working on this project for nearly eight years, what was such an investment motivated by?

C.L.: Any business manager has to study the market’s trends and conform to ensure his longevity. Besides, as a qualified distributor, it is my duty to provide retailers with products that are guaranteed to please their customers.

Beyond these mercantile motives, my approach has been motivated by my desire to provide the Quebec bovine production with a new impulse. At the risk of sounding presumptuous, I found it essential to help the market evolve. Finally, I drew my motivation from the challenge to help put a product into place, born from a dialogue, a mutual vision, teamwork.

Yet, team spirit is a concept with values very dear to my heart.  Besides, it is on the same team spirit that depend the future of the Cantons Selected Meat because longing to contribute to its production, is subscribing to a multi-trade partnership, all sharing the same will and desire for quality.

You say that your products answer to the consumers’ aspirations.  What are the trends and how likely do you believe they are to buy this beef?

C.L.:  For many years now consumers have been rightly concerned with their food.  The increase in cardiovascular diseases, aesthetic stereotypes, the growing awareness towards healthy living, a strong tenancy to return to authenticity…in short, many valuable reasons that justify their preoccupation towards healthy eating.  From these facts and in spite of a higher cost, studies reveal the consumers’ attraction towards this variety of products.

There is a clientele for this type of food, although it is strenuous to estimate its accurate proportion.  A market study shows however that 100 000 cows would be necessary in production to fulfil its needs.  Our goal is to attain a first step of 10%.

What is the interest of putting a tracing system into place?

 C.L.: The interest for a tracing system is double.

On the one hand, it answers to the increasing insistence for transparency and authentication of our food.  The tracing process, as implied by its name, allows to trace the origin of the meat and consequently identify the producer or animal from which it originated.  Better yet, the consumer will have the opportunity to find out the conditions under which the beef purchased has been bred, all from the comfort of his home, through the Internet.

On the other hand, the tracing is a supporting tool to the production process.  Knowledge of the origin of the meat allows a selection based on satisfaction.

What conditions are required to be a part of the Canton Selected Meat production?

C.L. : Breeders, finishers, distributors, retailers…any professional wishing to be a part of the project has to respect a charges booklet.  This respect provides a premium to breeders and finishers, which fluctuates mutually with the market price for beef.

As precise as it is at the moment, the charges booklet is likely to evolve.  It is currently inspired from the right practice and production guides published by the CPAQ (Quebec Animal Production Counsel).

How will you reinforce to the customers the notion that the Cantons Selected Meat is produced according to the regulations established in the charges booklet?

C.L.: By lack of volume, we currently are unable to affix labels.  However, we rely on independent verification to reinforce and demonstrate our credibility to our consumers.

Finally, when can we have the honour of tasting it?

C.L.: The Cantons Selected Meat will be on some specific Quebec markets as early as autumn 2003.  Through an additional phase, we are considering a launch in the New England and Europe markets.