At first glance, the Nantaise cow is a relic of the past. A small, sturdy breed once common in western France, it had all but disappeared by the late 20th century. Today, thanks to a growing network of farmers and chefs, the little cow is making a quiet but powerful comeback—proving that small-scale, local production can be a serious and viable alternative to industrial farming. A subject more relevant than ever, given the EU and France-level pushes to increase competitiveness and produce/consume more and better meat. How can these go together while still respecting the animal, the environment and the work of the farmer?
Bringing Change to the Table
On Monday 24 February, in Paris, a delegation from ARC2020 gathered at La Table des Résistants for a Dîner Bavard (dinner of rustic resistants) with farmers, artisan chefs, and food system advocates addressing the challenges and opportunities of local breed preservation.
Poster for the Dîner Bavard (dinner of rustic resistants) in Paris, February 2024 © Adèle Pautrat
The resurgence of the Nantaise is about building a new kind of food economy—one that values biodiversity, respects the rhythms of nature, and ensures fair prices for farmers. The Filière Nantaise, an association-led micro-sector, has grown from a handful of farmers to a network of 25 to 30, with both new entrants and seasoned professionals working together to restore the breed’s place in the landscape. The model is simple yet radical: raise cattle in low-input, pasture-based systems, and ensure good prices for farmers by selling products with intermediaries who value the quality of the meat. Still the filière faces structural hurdles.
At the Dîner Bavard, the reality of production costs was a key debate. Currently, the Filière Nantaise sets a price of 6€/kg in the field, which translates to 5.3€ for the farmer, 0,5 € for the filière and 0,2 € covering transport. Considered fair for the farmer, this price does not reflect the cost of raising a Nantaise cow in an extensive, pasture-based system, where calves stay with their mothers, feeding on grass and hay with minimal supplementary inputs. The trade-off? A production cycle that is two to three times longer than conventional systems, making each animal a significant investment.
This is part of a larger issue in European agriculture: its high dependence on CAP subsidies, which keep the future of food production on life support. One participant noted, ‘Right now, we’re all functioning as EU employees. Without subsidies, our beef would have to sell at over 10€/kg just to break even.’.
Although the micro sector model provides increased security for farmers, the pressures of scaling up without losing integrity are constant. A promising path: the constant quest for greater independence. In slaughtering, for example. To date, on-farm slaughtering options are few and far between, but they are very popular with farmers in the sector, who see it as a way of reinforcing their commitment to animal welfare and, at the same time, limiting transport costs, over which they have no room for manoeuvre.
‘We’re looking at farm-based slaughter as a real alternative,’ one speaker noted. ‘It’s not just about animal welfare—it’s also about keeping costs manageable for small-scale farmers.’
Niche Goes Far–Into The Kitchen of Top French Artisan Chefs
But securing a fair price isn’t just about counting costs—it’s about telling (and selling) a story. Unlike conventional beef production, where uniformity is king, the Nantaise breed demands a different approach. This is where the culinary world comes in.
Thierry Lohr, elected representative of Plessé municipality, cooking at the Dîner Bavard © Soledad Gaillard
Due to the irregularity in meat texture and fat content, butchers initially faced challenges selling Nantaise beef to their clients and quickly distanced themselves from the filière. This experience is crucial to understanding the challenge at hand: people have deeply ingrained habits when it comes to eating meat, and unfortunately, these habits don’t always prioritise environmentally or locally friendly practices. In this context, the role of artisan chefs in reinventing how we approach meat consumption becomes critical. And, not surprisingly, artisan chefs have eagerly embraced the unique qualities of Nantaise beef.
While it might seem that an initiative focused solely on supplying top-quality restaurants has limited potential for raising global awareness, these niche efforts can actually have a far-reaching impact. By highlighting different meat qualities and promoting more sustainable choices, artisan chefs have the ability to inspire consumers to seek out and embrace alternative options. By committing to buying and showcasing Nantaise beef, a new generation of artisan chefs is reshaping consumer expectations.
Groups like the Bouillonnantes in Nantes, a collective of independent restaurants, are at the forefront of this shift, proving that local is not just an ethical choice—it’s a gastronomic one.
Strength in Uniqueness
A Breton Pie Noir at la ferme de 7 Chemins. © Adèle Violette
And the story of the Nantaise is not unique. Another nearby rare breed, the Bretonne Pie Noir, is finding their place in modern farming by playing to their strengths: resilience, adaptability, and superior product quality. There are now around 2,500 Bretonne Pie Noir cows across more than 450 farms, with growing interest due to their rich milk, excellent cheese-making potential, and the ease of direct sales due to their smaller carcasses.
In Ireland, small herds of native cattle have played a role in conservation grazing, proving that rare breeds are more than heritage—they are part of a living, sustainable farming system.
Even at the Salon de l’Agriculture, you now find a number of representatives of so-called low-stock cattle breeds: local, hardy breeds, linked to the history and customs of their territories. Some of them have been on the verge of extinction, but are now enjoying a resurgence of efforts that is only growing.
What unites these efforts is the recognition that small-scale farming is not an outdated relic but a model for the future—one that places diversity, ecology, and taste at the heart of the food system.
Policy Ambitions Put Into Practice
At a time when the competitiveness of the European Union is a key concern, the experience of production sectors that rely on rarity and diversity to thrive offers a compelling case for preserving local distinctiveness as a means of creating added value.
In this context, micro-production chains not only help preserve rare breeds but also capitalize on their rarity to secure fairer prices for farmers, ensuring both sustainability and economic viability.
The revival of the Nantaise breed aligns with broader European Union initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture and preserving biodiversity. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has introduced eco-schemes designed to support environmentally friendly farming practices, yet their potential remains largely untapped due to design and funding challenges.
In places like Wales, policy proposals have linked rare breed conservation with stronger local supply chains and community engagement, integrating food production with land stewardship.
Graphic by Ashley Parsons
The Filière Nantaise stands as a model of how such policy ambitions can be put into practice on the ground. It is proving that small-scale, local, and rare can also mean ambitious, forward-thinking, and economically viable. In a time when agricultural competitiveness dominates the conversation–especially as a cover for global competitiveness in a global agro-industrial farming model–it’s a story worth telling.
Teaser photo credit: © Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Attribution: Trizek