Animal and Farmer Well-being: One Cannot Exist Without the Other!

“It is essential to make the fascinating profession of farming attractive, a job in close contact with animals, which is meaningful, and involves perpetuating the know-how of respectful farming in harmony with nature, in complete freedom.” 

Philippe Manry, General Manager, Sanders 

Farmers are the first to interact with animals and the primary actors in their well-being. Sanders understands this demanding profession well, working with nearly 26,000 farmers. Across France, the subsidiary of the Group provides feed that meets the specific needs of animals, contributing to their healthy growth, digestive comfort, parasite control, and immune balance. But Sanders goes further, driven by a conviction: there are no happy animals without happy farmers. As we know, being a farmer is a demanding job. More than ever, farmers need support. 

Sanders has chosen to: engage alongside them to improve their working conditions while involving them in more virtuous practices. This approach echoes Avril’s Raison d’Être “Serving the Earth” and is nurtured by Sanders, which dedicates one of the three pillars of its CSR ambition to the well-being of animals and farmers. To this end, the company implemented the EVE indicator in 2024, which qualifies farms engaged in a progress plan. 

Directly with farmers, Sanders offers technical advice, digital solutions – such as Aptimiz, which optimizes farm organization – and even financial aid for the construction and renovation of farm buildings. These contributions have a direct impact on the living conditions of animals (natural lighting in buildings; tree-lined paths; etc.) but also on the quality of work and safety of farmers. 

In 2024, Sanders renewed its aid plan for farming with a new envelope of 6 million euros. This aid plan aims to support farmers through two main objectives: 

• Promote the transmission, establishment, and development of farms to contribute to the sustainability of French livestock, 
• Support the modernization of facilities towards more sustainable farming, 

Animal well-being is a growing concern in our society. It is also a concern for farmers, who work daily with animals. How can we improve practices and working conditions? 

Faced with this question about the future of farming, Sanders is committed.