Fédération Nationale des Eleveurs de Chèvres

The Fédération Nationale des Éleveurs de Chèvres (FNEC) is a French agricultural trade federation that represents goat farmers — both those who deliver milk to processors and farmstead producers who make cheese on the farm. It is one of the specialised associations of the Fédération nationale des syndicats d'exploitants agricoles (FNSEA), the main French farmers' union. Its stated mission is to represent and defend the interests of goat farmers across the diversity of the caprine sector. The FNEC was created in 1958, when five departmental goat syndicates came together to form a national federation; Ernest Chausson, a farmer from the Drôme, became its first president. The federation has since played a role in structuring the French goat sector, helping to build the interprofessional organisation that became ANICAP, launching the Fromagora national farmhouse goat cheese competition in 1991, and producing the first national good-practice guide for farmhouse cheese production in 1992. It also represents the sector within Interbev, the national interprofessional livestock and meat association, since 2014. Today the FNEC publishes press releases and dossiers on issues such as drought compensation, fertiliser aid, milk prices and the economic situation of ruminant farmers, and organises events including open days and the Fromagora competition. Its website serves as a hub for news, positions and information about the federation's work.

The Fédération Nationale des Éleveurs de Chèvres (FNEC) was founded in 1958, when five departmental goat syndicates came together to create a national federation. Ernest Chausson, a farmer from the Drôme, became its first president. The federation's stated purpose was to represent all goat farmers, whether they delivered milk to processors or produced farmhouse cheese. From 1963, the FNEC provided technical support on zootechnics — selection, milk recording and herd management — before transferring this activity in 1967 to a specialised technical institute. In 1983, following a major dairy crisis in 1981, the FNEC, together with processors and cooperatives, decided to create the caprine dairy interprofession, a federation of regional interprofessions that would become the national ANICAP in 1998. In 1991, the FNEC launched Fromagora, the only national competition for farmhouse goat cheeses, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. In 1992, it created the first National Guide to Good Practices in Farmhouse Cheese Production, written by FNEC producers to help farmhouse dairy producers manage the health safety of their production. The federation has been led by a succession of presidents, including Denis Vene (1977–1984), Kacem Boussouar (1984–1987 and 2003–2006), François Etevenon (1987–2000), Laurence Gueit (2000–2001), Rémi Boudaud (2001–2003) and Jacky Salingardes (since 2006). It is one of the specialised associations of the FNSEA, the main French farmers' union, and since 2014 it has represented the goat sector within Interbev, the national interprofessional livestock and meat association. The FNEC continues to publish press releases and dossiers on issues such as drought compensation, fertiliser aid and milk prices, and organises events including open days and the Fromagora competition.

• Constitutive General Assembly of the FNEC: five departmental goat syndicates group together to create the Fédération Nationale des Eleveurs de Chèvres. Ernest Chausson becomes first president.

• FNEC begins providing technical support on zootechnics: selection, milk recording and herd management.

• FNEC transfers its technical support activity to a specialised technical institute.

• Following the 1981 dairy crisis, FNEC with processors and cooperatives creates the caprine dairy interprofession, which becomes ANICAP in 1998.

• FNEC launches Fromagora, the only national competition for farmhouse goat cheeses, in the PACA region.

• FNEC creates the first National Guide to Good Practices in Farmhouse Cheese Production.

• FNEC begins representing the goat sector within Interbev, the national interprofessional livestock and meat association.

National representative body for French goat farmers, affiliated with the FNSEA.

• 1991

  Fromagora national farmhouse goat cheese competition

• 1992

  National Guide to Good Practices in Farmhouse Cheese Production

1. 1FNEC - Fédération Nationale des Eleveurs de Chèvresfnec.fr
2. 2Notre histoire - FNECfnec.fr
3. 3Fédération nationale des éleveurs de chèvresfr.wikipedia.org
4. 4Wikidatawikidata.org