Our commitments
1. Environment and health
- Developing organic agriculture. Since 2010, Agour has been involved in raising awareness to the dairy and swine farmers around the benefits of organic farming. We became the leading brand in the Basque Country, on the organic sheep’s cheese and charcuterie markets.
- Protecting biodiversity. We also made commitments to help preserve our local sheep breeds not only through the PDO Ossau-Iraty method, supported by Agour, but also through granting a bonus to Manech Tête Noire sheep farmers since 2011.
- Gearing production tools towards sustainable development. In 2009, Agour inaugurated a high environmental value ecological cheese plant in Mendive, in the Irati valley: walls are covered in chestnut wood which blends in the landscape, the structure made with recyclable materials (steel, etc.), fluid circuits are heat-insulated to prevent energy loss, and a wood chip boiler has been installed.
- The wood supply is local and renewable and contributes to the maintenance of the Irati forest. It generates 70% of the cheese factory's energy needs.
- Natural rind! A huge advantage. In 2001, Agour got rid of rind preservatives and has worked with natural rinds as a commitments, that the PDO Ossau-Iraty would make its own in 2013.
2. The regional economy
- Being an iconic food producer in the region means keeping traditions alive but also making them evolve.
- As a player in circular economy, we take pride in giving priority to working with local suppliers.
- We participate in many local collective initiatives: Agricultural food cluster Uztartu, AIE Erosi, AIE Adour Achat Agro, The Ruta Gastronómica de los Vascos (Basque Culinary Route), PDO Ossau-Iraty Cheese Route, GIP Agroland, PDO Ossau-Iraty, Clúster de Alimentación de Euskadi (Basque Food Cluster), ARBIO, Manger Bio Sud-Ouest, ARDIA, etc.
3. Support living pastoralism
- Facilitate the settlement of young shepherds.
- Preserve and promote mountain agriculture
- Create sustainable employment
- Innovate to add more value to the local dairy production
4. Offer a dynamic and open image of our region
- Our products are "ambassadors" of the Basque Country and Gascony all over the world.
- Brand recognition in all kinds of distribution networks reinforces the national and international visibility of our territories.
