December 20, 2012

On December 13, 2012, Evolution, the name of the new union of cooperatives, was announced by Jacques Coquelin, Chairman of AMELIS, Vincent Retif, Chairman of GENOE and Jean-Pierre Mourocq, Chairman of URCEO, which is starting this January 1, 2013.

Regarding its area of operations, this new multi-species Group thus becomes the leader in France, the second in Europe and the seventh in the world. The new name of this Group is suggesting all at once the different jobs of the Union, the movement, the result of History and of its own history and also a worldwide shared reference.

EVOLUTION will create, build and develop, in the West part of France, a major actor locally and internationally, involved in multi species' genetics and biotechnologies activities. The main goals will be: to keep genetic and biotechnology ownership in breeders' hands through their cooperative; to improve their Research and Development investments in their strategic activities to bring innovations and differentiation to markets; to develop their genetic activities, especially semen and cattle distribution, internationally in order to finance R&D global investments.

Started in 2011, the project is based on the awareness that the three cooperatives had common points of view on the situation of the world today. Facing a world in motion with growing needs regarding food, environmental stakes which are increasing, technological revolutions, but also in order to provide the breeders with good solutions regarding renewal and reproduction, the three cooperatives of Western France had to be united.

The directors have developed a common project that they presented to the members of their respective coops. This project was approved by the members and in June 2012, a new step was taken to build the new Group.

With EVOLUTION, the three cooperatives are targeting a significant market share on the French and Worldwide market. This development would enable the new union to build ambitious R&D programmes in the field of Genetics, Services and Monitoring systems.

The Group operates in the following species: Dairy and Beef Cattle, Goats, Equine, Pigs, Rabbits. Their activities involve genetic selection, animal reproduction management, embryos and animals' trade, and monitoring (heat monitoring solutions, calving and rumination).