'Next gen' of Belgian meat industry believes in a future for the sector

Belgian Meat Office brought together five young professionals during a press event with European trade journalists. In addition to a company visit, there was also a round table discussion on the program. The theme? Giving the voices of the next generation in the meat sector a platform to speak. 'The Belgian meat sector is characterized by small and medium-sized family businesses. Some of them are nowadays run by the fourth or fifth generation,' says Joris Coenen, manager of Belgian Meat Office. 'Family businesses have one thing in common: a unique long-term vision that extends beyond one generation. That is a totally different attitude than, for example, publicly listed companies where they often do not look beyond the next quarter.'

Was it obvious to enter the family business? Or did you consider taking a different path?

Frederick Hemelaer: "The company has always been there. Ever since I was a child, I contributed where I could. Yet after my studies, I opted for a job in finance, until my father asked me the question. He allowed me to run my own project and that determined my decision. I didn't have to think about it very long, after all, that company is your legacy, which then bears your own name. I have one sister and from my point of view she has the same rights as I do. She is busy finding her own way in the company, but after she took the time needed, she can decide whether she wants to join in or not."

Marie Lambrecht: "During my childhood and my youth, the company has always been a topic at home. We didn’t know it any other way. I even worked there from time to time. I really enjoyed my job at Cru, but suddenly the question came from my father and I thought, "Why not?" I searched my way through the whole company and today I am an HR manager, a conscious choice. I have two sisters, one of them is also very involved and active in the board of directors."

Alexander Vandenberghe: "I was involved in the company from a young age. It was very present in our lives at home, even at the kitchen table. But at first I wanted to take a different direction, I found it hard work with a lot of uncertainties. That's why I first opted for a job outside the company, even abroad. Until major investments at Delavi presented themselves and the question came up as to what the new generation would do. As the oldest of that generation, I was the first one to be looked at. I then decided to take the plunge and I must say, the passion for the job and the company came particularly quick. 
Within our family, though, it was agreed that only one person from each family branch could step into the business. Today my mother and my uncle are the company managers, my father and aunt are both also active in the company. That means that now that I have entered the company, my sister does not have that opportunity. These are things that need to be taken care of."

Quentin Claeys: "My father always made the distinction between work and private life, so at first I had little affinity with the company. After my studies in the US, I started there in the pet food sector, as a sales representative. Great fun to do, but then came corona and instead of traveling for my job, I was suddenly home. At that time, a sales manager position became available at my father's company. 
I took the plunge and haven't regretted it yet. I enjoy my job. Whether I will succeed my father in the future, I don't know. The meat sector is a rather male sector. That's why I always had the feeling that I would be looked at to take over the business and not my sisters. But I don't know if I will be the next CEO. I think having fun by doing my job is much more important. If someone else is more suited to become CEO, I have no problem taking on another role in the company."

Are there sometimes differences in vision between generations? And how do you deal with that in a family business? 

Marie Lambrecht: "I see the differences between generations as an opportunity. Everyone wants the best for the company. If you talk and discuss with respect for each other, it usually works out."

Bram Van Hecke: "From my experience, I can only conclude that both years of experience and new insights must be nurtured. With openness on both sides, you achieve a lot."

Quentin Claeys: "For me, too, the key word is respect. Everyone has to put their ego aside from time to time to be able to fast forward."

Alexander Vandenberghe: "I follow my colleagues. I also see the difference in vision as a strength, but it is also important how you deal with it: talking about it and looking for what underlies the difference in vision. Doing this thoroughly only strengthens the final choice or decision."

Are you succeeding better than the previous generation in seeing and getting into new trends and evolutions?

Alexander Vandenberghe: "In a way, yes, but of course that is only a temporary effect. Even when you're ten years in, you should still be able to capture those trends."

Bram Van Hecke: "As a young person, you haven't failed yet and openness to trends is more natural."

Quentin Claeys: "I don’t think this is bound to generations. Six years ago, before I joined the company, we started a vegetarian production line at Belgian Pork Group. We had really good, tasty products then, but sales volumes remained too low. The vegetarian market is a hugely saturated market with a lot of competition. We kept losing a lot of money in this segment and that is not sustainable, which is why we ended our vegetarian sigment a year ago."

A drop in livestock production is on the horizon due to all social expectations and policy choices. How do you ensure that your business will still have sufficient supply in the future?

Marie Lambrecht: "That is indeed a very big challenge. The livestock population in our country will decrease, that is clear. That will undoubtedly lead to consolidations in the meat sector. For us it comes down to being among the survivors. At Danis we already have a big advantage, we coordinate the whole chain together with many family pig farmers."

Frederick Hemelaer: "In the cattle sector, that challenge has been existing for a while. A lot of farmers are quitting. You then have to look for new suppliers, but that is extremely difficult."

Alexander Vandenberghe: "Above all, we must look for pig farmers who are future-proof. Therefore, we must also ensure that the farmer can operate profitably. That is the best way to secure the supply of pigs."

Bram Van Hecke: "A demand market may not seem ideal for the processing industry, but it is better. If money is made in the chain, it leads to more innovation and so the whole chain stays competitive. It keeps everyone on their toes. Of course, this is not a plea for a government that dictates how much the livestock population must decrease. 
The government must set a direction for the future, but assigning numbers to it is not the best way. Today it is tempting in politics to come up with a new proposal every few months because that generates more media attention. Stable policy is unfortunately not rewarded at the moment, but that is exactly what we need. I support ambition in policy, but you have to give people the time and space to get over the threshold, otherwise they will drop out."

Is the government today friend or enemy of the meat sector?

Quentin Claeys: "I don't see it as black or white. But it is important to have people with inside knowledge of the sector to help set policy."

Alexander Vandenberghe: "I am mainly asking for a consistent government that also dares to put everything in perspective. We live in a rich region where we can be concerned about things that don't matter in other regions. In the past, crises have led to policy choices that make us strive for the very highest standards today. Think of the dioxin crisis, the swine fever crisis, etc. I often keep the following saying in mind: "You can't change the wind, but you can change the sails"."

Bram Van Hecke: "Politicians need to be much more consistent. Let’s take the Green Deal as an example. It is in good that sustainability is taken into account, but then politicians must also ensure that the consequences of that decision are dealt with. Those consequences must also be extended into other policy areas, think of trade, for example. At the same time, we cannot help but notice that there is a lot of negativity surrounding agriculture today. We must be more positive about what we have already done, without losing sight of the challenges. I also look at politicians in this regard. They too must dare to say: 'We are already doing very well, but that does not mean we can't do better'.'

Isn't the sector missing opportunities there? Shouldn't the meat sector itself put a plan on the table about where it wants to go and what that will bear?

Marie Lambrecht: ‘"I can only encourage the idea. We as a sector should indeed dare to take the initiative more."

Alexander Vandenberghe: "Fair is fair: the process by which different insights, knowledge and studies are transformed into good policy is not always pretty and never has been. But that is how it works in our democracy and we must dare to participate in it."

Bram Van Hecke: "Not only do you have to put a plan on the table, you also have to be charming. Tell stories that you get people into. Today the meat sector doesn't tell it’s own story, a story is being told about the sector."

Alexander Vandenberghe: "We have to tell not only what we do, but also why we do something. Everyone used to know what it meant to turn animals into meat. But we have built walls around our farms and around our slaughterhouses so that no one knows anymore what happens behind those walls. We have to change that."

How do you see the future for the Belgian meat sector?

Quentin Claeys: "I don't think it will be that much different from today. Belgian meat companies have always been very innovative and they have always adapted to the challenges that emerged. It will be no different in the future. I don't expect major differences in food habits either. As such, they don't change that quickly. Go figure, do we eat that differently than our grandparents?"

Alexander Vandenberghe: "I see rather a constant evolution, not a revolution. Today changes are coming very quickly. As a business leader, you have to be on top of your game or you won't have a reason to exist tomorrow. I strongly believe in the following principle: monitor, evaluate and then adapt or innovate."

Marie Lambrecht: "Good will not be good enough for the future. We also need to change the dynamics around our sector. The negativity has to go away. A vegetarian works on one of our farms. She says, "There will always be meat to eat, because of my job I can make sure that the animals have a good life before they are slaughtered. That's something we should be proud of, isn't it?"