As the leader of Ceva, how can you stay in tune with the world of breeding and its feelings?
Marc Prikazsky – In the village where I live, I feel a divorce between the rural and urban worlds. We often talk about the diagonal of emptiness; I would also talk about the diagonal between Paris and Brussels, these territories where services are disappearing. Farmers may have the feeling that laws and rules are ultimately defined by a minority that does not know the province. To this, you add a terrible complexity, which was also the first Claims of breeders and farmers. They say: “ There are too many standards”of course there are too many standards. So not only do you have work to do, but also a lot of paperwork to fill out. I understand these difficulties. This problem of standards is a major problem that I observe on a daily basis as Chairman and CEO of Ceva and Chairman of the New Aquitaine ETI club, which brings together companies with 250 to 5,000 employees. It is the economic lung of France, Germany, all countries, and 75% of these companies are located in the regions. Like farmers, these companies are also subject to standards. For an ETI, that’s 400,000 standards on average.
How is this problem of standards expressed for a laboratory?
A laboratory can only observe the rapid emergence of new diseases, explained in particular by global warming and the movement of animals. We fight against these new diseases by developing innovative health solutions that must, and this is quite normal, be validated by the health authorities. However, this validation process is so complex… The European Commission has around 33,000 civil servants and Bercy 130,000. standards are created and then in France, we have an unfortunate tendency to go even further via a strict interpretation of the texts which slows us down. The new CSRD standard [relative à la publication d’informations en matière de durabilité par les entreprises] is, for example, a proposal from France. This directive sets new standards and obligations for extra-financial reporting on social, environmental or governance factors.
Ceva is expanding internationally. How does this success benefit French breeders?
Our role is to offer health solutions for breeders. Our place of world number 5 gives us the means to develop these solutions. If we just took our activity in Francewhich represents less than 8% of our turnoverwe would lose money. Our global reach must be seen as an opportunity that allows us toinvest in France. Faced with a new epidemic, the objective is to be able to release a vaccine in a hundred days. We are seeing a kind of runaway phenomenon, we must move very quickly. We are currently in the process of testing a vaccine against MHE. We have thus developed a vaccine against bird flu. No other lab has done it. We are based in the South West. Duck is in our culture. Other large laboratories do not do it, because these markets are less profitable. I am patriotic, there is also an emotional side to our investments.
And what about African swine fever?
Faced with the new viruses that will appear, we will not win every time. For African swine fever, we cannot find solutions. We have no prospects on this point at present.
At the technical and health levels, do French farms still have room for improvement?
There always is. As in all areas, it is necessary observe the top 10 or 15% of farms. They are the model. The dispersion of technical results is quite high today. It is therefore necessary supporting breeders et focus on prevention.
Can the decline in antibiotic use continue?
Significant efforts have been made. This is remarkable. This progress is valuable and concerns the entire population and we must go further. The solution is clearly prevention through vaccines. Ceva plays a key role in this goal: we are one of the world leaders in animal vaccination. We even offer autovaccine. We have invested in small structures which allow us to sometimes offer a vaccine for a single farmThese tailor-made solutions affirm our desire to respond to all types of breeding, including minor species.
The earlier we intervene in an epidemic, the more effective we are.
What is the research and development project that will need to be followed in the coming years?
The earlier we intervene in an epidemic, the more effective we are.. We have set up a platform in Angers that allows us to collect information from laboratories around the world. We do sequencing and monitor the evolution of viruses. It is a bioanalysis laboratory that allows us to identify the necessary vaccines, the antigen of interest. We are also investing in other platforms, always with the aim of registering vaccines more quickly.
Will you maintain this link with France? Can the logic of profitability take over?
We are one independent company, majority owned by more than 2,000 employee shareholders. We have more than two-thirds of the voting rights and we decide our future. The story began in 1999. With 14 executives, we bought this company. We are linked to the French territory and we will remain so because we are independent in our decision-making. Without this original shareholding, our strategy would certainly have moved away from the smaller sectors.. I believe that to be a great laboratory, Ceva must be present on all species.
What are your reasons for hope for agriculture?
In France we have a real diversity of productionsThis diversity may be a weakness in the face of extremely organized foreign channels, but it is a wealth because these different agricultural productions and models work. We have markets to reconquer, with the possibility of being autonomous. But there must be a political will to recognize this diversity. We collectively have the choice to promote our agriculture.
How do you participate in this diversity of agriculture?
Twelve years ago we developed the National Prize for Animal Agrobiodiversity with the Heritage Foundation based on the observation that nearly 30% of livestock breeds listed in France are now threatened. Through this prize, we want to reward breeders who develop economic models that work with species of low numbers. Every year we select three breeders. Ceva defends this diversity. In this way, we respect our ancestors who selected breeds. This genetic heritage has real value. It is a way of showing that different agricultural models work.