In 2014 Centre Val de Loire Region introduced a new food certification in order to promote quality locally produced food and the Region's gastronomic heritage and terroir. It is called © du Centre. The idea is that it provides the consumer with a guarantee of the quality of the product, backed up by the producer's knowhow and respect for the environment.
Billboard at the bus stop advertising the © du Centre regional food certification.
The hope is that it will support the local economy, safeguarding jobs and businesses. And hopefully more people will be encouraged to buy local because it's great fresh and healthy food. Products will be easily identifiable because the © du Centre logo will be prominently displayed on the label. Or that's the theory, anyway. Of the half dozen producers I know and use that have signed up, none seem to use the logo anywhere I've noticed it.
https://www.cducentre.com/adherents/gaec-limouzin/
The producers have the usual strict set of rules to adhere to, especially in terms of their treatment of the environment. The product must be healthy, sustainable and local. The label is a guarantee that the product is grown and made in the Region, with ingredients mainly sourced locally. Products must also carry another certification to ensure their gastronomic quality, such as AOC, IGP, Label Rouge, AB, Viennoiseries 100% maison, Boulanger de France or Ici on fabrique les pâtisseries and not contain any synthetic additives.
https://www.cducentre.com/adherents/laiterie-de-verneuil-627005cede1c8/
The certification is the brainchild of the Regional Development Agency DEV'UP. I'm not sure there has been much take up in 10 years and whilst I sympathise with their desire to make a brand that clearly identifies good products from Centre Val de Loire I suspect that it is seen by most people, producers and consumers alike, as being a bit superfluous.
It seems to me that quality certification labels for food are really only useful when food is shipped and sold outside of the area it is produced in. But in these days of short food chains and locavores what is important is having direct access to producers. Consumers can and do verify for themselves that the production methods and quality of the produce is to their satisfaction. Farmers markets and direct sales are a very important part of this process in my opinion.
Further reading (in French): https://www.cducentre.com/
2 comments:
Susan, in the most part it will be a decision of the packaging designers as to where that very uninspiring logo goes... that is probably the main reason it isn't struck large upon a product... also, now, the wording is wrong... it was designed before the existance of Centre-Val de Loire and should really have the "-Val de Loire" added to that outer ring.
But, these things are politicians "bright ideas" and usually wrongly directed..... your last para sums up the reality of most thinking people's food choices on a local level.
I agree with the principle, but think it superfluous - and it seems the producers do too. I buy local, as much as I can, but wouldn't do so if the quality was poor. I don't tend to trust labels, I trust my eyes, nose, ears and tastebuds...and my stomach. Tomorrow night is dairy night, which means doing about 5 km to get milk, cream, cheese, butter but also some meat products and veg, some wines, and more. Maybe it is a little more expensive than in the supermarket but the taste, the smell, the look, the way the cows are enjoying life in the fields most of the year : all of that means more to me than anything else.
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