Can systems using hyper specialized breeds be considered as localized agrifood systems? The example of the Belgian Texel breed

The Belgian Texel sheep breed is a meat purpose breed, the Belgian form of the Dutch
Texel breed, with muscular hypertrophy. Comparing the situation of this breed to others hyper
specialized breeds in Belgium raise the question of the existence of a Belgian breeding model.
We interviewed 11 stakeholders concerned by the Texel breed (breeders, scientists, veterinary,
extension service technician, and butcher).
Those interviews have allowed us to discuss three dimensions of the Texel breed management:
‐ The breed is actually a breeding animals propose breed.
Sheep meat is few consumed in Belgium and butchers seem to prefer crossbreed meat than pure
Texel meat. As a consequence the main aim for breeding Texel is breeding animals selling. The
breeders consider the selection activity as their activity, and underline that it is more interesting
for them from an economical point of view to sell breeding animals abroad (United Kingdom).
‐ The breed management follows a Belgian model and is as a consequence localized!
The Blanc Bleu Belge cattle breed is clearly a model for the Texel breeders and several of them
mention the “Belgian eye of the breeder”. Producing meat in quantity is the core motivation in
this breeding model (a breeding model that echoes an engineering culture where performance is a
core motivation). Among the organization of breeding in Belgium, the breeding shows contests
are important places where this model is shared by breeders, even among deferent species.
‐ The breed is very well adapted to its breeding situation but what about it adaptive capacities?
The breed is mentioned as adapted to grazing (good quality grassland) and it is as well adapted to
socio-territorial conditions of belgium (small area). The breed is easy to breed (except during the
lambing period very time consuming which means that flocks are often small flocks). It’s considered
as well adapted to breeding animal production for crossbreeding. However, most of the interviewed
persons have mentioned failures in adaptation to changes in breeding conditions (bigger
flocks, breeding in hot climate area for instance).
Thanks to this case study, we discuss the fact that qualifying an agrifood system as “localized” is
not enough and that it is crucial to understand and analyze the anchorages in local as dynamics
and in their dynamics.