Humival Evolution is a product embodying the virtuous chain our cooperative Cooperl and its company Fertival have been promoting for over 30 years. Cooperl is a Brittany pork cooperative founded in 1966 in Lamballe, uniting over 2,950 pig farmers in France’s Grand Ouest region. Our farmers work for sustainable pork production through their commitment to innovative, animal welfare-friendly production methods. Over 80% of them have committed to the pork welfare sector by ending castration, thus limiting the risk of disease and reducing the use of veterinary products. Some farmers are now dedicated to raising pigs without antibiotics from birth and giving them fodder without GMOs, thus helping to combat antibiotic resistance. Our pigs produce organic matter every day throughout their lives. For the past 30 years, Fertival has been using these by-products of pig farming in its fertiliser formulations. By collecting organic matter from the pigs, we considerably reduce nitrogen and phosphorus pressure on Brittany’s farmland. Fertival collects this material directly from the farmers, either through treatment stations located on the farms or through a phase separation system positioned directly beneath the animals (https://www.cooperl.com/eleveurs/porcs/gerer-lenvironnement). The material from the TRAC scraping systems developed internally on the farms is fed into Europe’s largest non-spreading methaniser, located in Lamballe and developed by Cooperl. The digestate obtained after methanisation is recovered, and this new source of organic matter is used in the composition of organic fertilisers. Once collected, these two materials are then dried and sterilised at the Lamballe Recovery Centre using steam produced directly on our site through renewable methods. In this way, we favour green energy over fossil fuels, thus limiting the environmental impact of our industrial tools. Through this model of circular economy, Fertival promotes sustainable agriculture in view of perpetuating the pork industry in Brittany.

Humival Evolution is the result of this circular ecology model fostered by the cooperative, in which Fertival is the main player. It is a natural organic fertiliser formulated using materials from the cooperative’s member farmers. Humival Evolution is singular, since it consists of organic matter of porcine origin. This means that the nitrogen is mineralised slowly and evenly, providing optimal nutrition for crops and reducing the number of fertiliser applications. Carbon is mineralised slowly and evenly as well, promoting the creation of humus in the soil.

Humival Evolution is also recognised by the “Fertilisant Durable” (sustainable fertiliser) label, developed by Afaïa and the Club de Retour à la Terre. The label certifies that this organic fertiliser is composed of at least 60% raw materials of renewable origin, and highlights the natural quality of the product.

The innovative, decarbonised life cycle of Humival Evolution fertiliser illustrates the close collaboration on sustainable agriculture that has existed between Fertival and Cooperl for over 30 years. Humival Evolution results from the virtuous approach of the national low-carbon strategy, which combines fertilisation with respect for the environment.