The “Polish Beef” Steering Committee – unity across the supply chain
The Polish beef sector cannot limit itself to assessing trade decisions taken at EU level. Regardless of the possible consequences of these decisions, we also need our own instruments to strengthen our market resilience.
The official launch of the “Polish Beef” brand Steering Committee (SC) is a historic moment for the sector. For the first time, the united organisations of the beef sector and the seven largest meat processing plants in the country have joined forces to jointly manage the product’s quality standard. The Committee will coordinate the brand’s development strategies, ensure consistency in activities, and strengthen a shared model for building the value of Polish beef on the domestic and international markets.
The integration of processors’ and breeders’ activities within the Steering Committee allows for the optimisation of promotional costs and the creation of a unified marketing message, which is crucial in the battle for premium segments.
“Polish Beef” as a response to Mercosur
The launch of the Steering Committee’s work is the sector’s direct response to market challenges, including, amongst others, the imminent entry into force of the Mercosur agreement, which will open the EU market to 130,000 tonnes of cheaper meat from South America. The signatories to the agreement recognised that further development cannot be based solely on price competition, but on building a strong, certified premium brand.
The main objective of the project is to create a recognisable “Polish Beef” standard, based on the national QMP (Quality Meat Programme) quality system. This system is intended to guarantee consumers consistent culinary quality, animal welfare and a sustainable, low-carbon origin of the raw material.
The Steering Committee will be responsible for setting the brand strategy, annual priorities and rules for using the certification, which is intended to strengthen the position of Polish meat vis-à-vis foreign retail chains and the HoReCa sector.
Cattle producers as strategic partners of processing plants
An important element of the project is also the relationship with farmers and cattle suppliers. The agreement identifies them as strategic partners for the brand’s success. It aims to build long-term relationships based on clear quality requirements, predictable rules of cooperation and mechanisms that reward quality, consistency, animal welfare and actions that enhance the sustainability of production. “The sustainable development of the sector requires building value throughout the entire supply chain – from cattle producers, through processors, to consumers,” state the agreement’s principles.
Cooperation as a prerequisite for development
The establishment of the Steering Committee signifies that the largest players in the Polish beef sector have recognised the creation of a joint brand as a prerequisite for the market’s further development. The “Polish Beef” project aims to unite the interests of processing plants, farmers and exporters around a single goal: to increase the value of Polish beef through product quality, origin, consistency and brand recognition.
The “Polish Beef” brand is represented by the following Polish companies, which guarantee the highest standards and the very best quality.
ABP Poland
Inalca Poland
McKeen-Beef
OSI Poland Foodworks
Sokołów S.A.
ZPM Biernacki
ZM Łuków
