The agro food industry in the Hautes-Alpes

The Hautes-Alpes territory houses a network of SMEs and handcraft companies in the agrofood business. It produces and markets a wide range of products issued from its local agriculture, its history, and the mountain’s natural resources. This industry employs more than 800 people in the Hautes-Alpes. An important part of producers detains a label for organic products. In Valgaudemar, the industry is structured by “Le goût de notre terre”, the rural cluster of excellence.


High quality products


The agro-food industry in the Hautes-Alpes owes it strength and wealth to the territory’s agriculture production, to its history, as well as to the exceptional natural resources of the Southern Alps.

An integrated milk industry

Since 2007, the Hautes-Alpes detains an integrated milk industry that represents nearly 80% of the regional production, with above 27,000 tons of milk yearly.

Several cheese producers process this milk to turn it into cheese of specific origin:

  • Champsaur-Valgaudemar: the Col Bayard milk factory (1,340 tons of milk processed), the Ebrard milk factory (900 tons of processed milk);
  • Laragnais: the Laragne milk factory (310 tons of processed milk)
  • Queyras: SICA des Alpages de Fontantie (1,020 tons of processed milk), La Durance milk factory (2,200 tons of processed milk).

Valorizing the water resources

The Société des Eaux de Chorges company produces several million liters of mountain water of renowned quality and purity at Chorges (La Roche des Ecrins trademark). Its production is distributed throughout France.

High quality handcraft companies

Numerous companies are involved in typical traditional productions of the Hautes-Alpes: the Chatelain company (hand-made jam production), Lamorlette (beef and pork meat processing), Salaisons du Champsaur (pork processing), Les croquants du Queyras (traditional dry cookies), Tourtons du Champsaur (tourtons and ravioles, Brasseries L&L Alphand and Brasserie des grands cols (breweries) are engaged in this high-quality oriented production and enjoy a strong development of their activity.

And other businesses well known in their market fields

The Canterperdrix company, located in the South of the Hautes-Alpes, holds a candy and sweet factory (nougats, calissons). It markets its products under various trademarks, including Le Verger du Roy.

 


A strong production of organic products


The local network of agro-food producers and the population of the Hautes-Alpes are strongly involved in high quality products.

Numerous companies are specialized in organic products. Some of them are market leaders at a national or European level.

Etablissements Rostain, a company located in Neffes, has acquired a national position in the production of organic processed pork and canned food. 

As for local natural products, Altiflore, a company located in Champsaur-Valgaudemar, has developed products based on sea-buckthorn (argousier) for more than twenty years and enjoys international recognition for its expertise in the field. Altiflore It is the French leader in organic culture, hand picking, and processing of sea-buckthorn.

Organic production : key figures (click here)

Hautes-Alpes agro-food industry: key figures


  • 71 businesses
  • 787 permanent jobs
  • Meat products: slaughtering, cutting, cooked dishes (21%), cereal products (18%), fruits and vegetables (13%)
  • In 2007, 30% of the companies exported their production to the following countries, ranked by decreasing order: Italy, Spain, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, Algeria…

Source : CRITT agroalimentaire PACA – April 2009

Innovation and business networks


Discover the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur innovation and business networks that will help you to establish your business in the Hautes-Alpes: “Le goût de notre terre” cluster of rural excellence, the “CRITT Agroalimentaire PACA” agro-food organization, the European fruit and vegetable innovation cluster (PEIFL).