Delivering food safety, food quality, and sustainable production practices: The Label Rouge poultry system in France

This article will describe a contra-industrial system for producing poultry in France. The Label Rouge system is a nationwide structure that ties highly localized groups of producers and their upstream (feed mills, hatcheries, genetics) and downstream (abattoirs, distributors) affiliates together in a highly complex and effective network for delivering to consumers poultry products that are vividly distinguishable from industrial poultry products. The differences are distinguishable with regards to intrinsic quality, food safety, environmentally sound production practices, and product image. The Label Rouge system offers some important lessons to American scholars interested in food-quality and -safety assurance, as it has developed a very effective structure of private-sector and public-sector certification and oversight over thirty-five years.