Cavac
Cavac is a French agricultural cooperative founded in 1965, headquartered in La Roche-sur-Yon, uniting 4,730 farmer-members across plant, animal, distribution (39 Gamm Vert/AgriVillage stores), and agro-transformation (branded foods and biomaterials) poles within a 100km radius.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1965
- HeadquartersLa Roche-sur-yon, France
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cavac does
Cavac (legal name: Coopérative Cavac) is a French multi-sector agricultural cooperative founded in 1965 through the merger of two cooperatives and headquartered in La Roche-sur-Yon, Vendée. The group unites 4,730 farmer-members (sociétaires) as holders of its social capital and employs approximately 1,731 staff across four operational poles: Pôle Végétal (contractualized crop sectors covering cereals, oilseeds, seeds over 12,000 ha, vegetables over 5,400 ha, hemp, and organic production); Pôle Animal (livestock groupings including cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, poultry, rabbits, and animal nutrition); Pôle Distribution (39 Gamm Vert and AgriVillage retail stores serving farmers and consumers across western France); and Pôle Agro-transformation (branded food processing via Bioporc, Biofournil, Atlantique Alimentaire, Vertys, plus biosourced construction materials via Cavac Biomatériaux). Processing and packaging sites are deliberately sited within 100km of headquarters to preserve product freshness and territorial value creation.
The cooperative's revenue mechanics span multiple streams: collection and sale of cereals/oilseeds (850,000 tonnes annually), livestock production (188,000 pigs, 124,000 cattle, 25,000 sheep/lambs, 7.3M rabbits, 22.6M poultry) with 65% of grain collection routed through certified quality (Label Rouge, organic, or Agri-Éthique fair trade) channels, retail through owned storefronts, branded food sales through wholesale and food retail, and biomaterials production. Distribution combines direct B2B sales (mills, food manufacturers, Delpeyrat for foie gras, Elivia for veal, Eurial for dairy sheep, Carrefour for labeled beef) with consumer-facing retail. Pricing is cooperative-negotiated and quote-based; there is no publicly disclosed pricing or revenue figure.
Quality certifications (Label Rouge, Organic, IGP, Agri-Éthique fair trade) and downstream shareholder relationships (Delpeyrat) differentiate Cavac's offer from open-market commodity flows. Member retention is reinforced by structural reinvestment — a €2 million livestock endowment fund (up to €15,000 per worker unit, established 2022) and a €2M+ supplementary price envelope on cereals/seeds in 2026 — alongside profit redistribution and elected Board governance. Recent strategic moves include the Oléosynbio joint venture for organic oilseed crushing (2025), a Biojet sustainable aviation fuel partnership with Groupe Dubreuil (2024), and the integration of Eleveurs de Challans poultry producers (2019).
Cavac firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cavac
- Legal name
- Coopérative Cavac
- Website
- https://coop-cavac.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1965
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Cavac is a French agricultural cooperative founded in 1965, headquartered in La Roche-sur-Yon, uniting 4,730 farmer-members across plant, animal, distribution (39 Gamm Vert/AgriVillage stores), and agro-transformation (branded foods and biomaterials) poles within a 100km radius.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Cavac is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- La Roche-sur-yon
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Cavac business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Agricultural Product Collection and Sales: Collection of agricultural products (cereals, seeds, vegetables, livestock) from farmer-members, processing through cooperative or subsidiary facilities, and sale to industrial clients, distributors, and export markets. Profits are partially redistributed to cooperative members and reinvested in territory.
- Retail Distribution (Gamm Vert, AgriVillage): Sale of agricultural supplies, garden products, and consumer goods through owned retail network of 39 stores open to both farmers and general public
- Agri-Food Processing and Branded Products: Transformation and sale of branded food products including Biofournil (organic bread), Bioporc (organic pork), Atlantique Alimentaire, Vertys (vegetables), and dairy products through various retail channels
- Biomaterials (Cavac Biomatériaux): Manufacturing and sale of hemp-based insulation materials and other biosourced construction materials for building sector
- Agricultural Services: Technical support, animal nutrition (Antigny Nutrition), farm development consulting, and installation/transmission support services for farmers
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
Cavac product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cavac is a diversified agricultural cooperative that collects, processes, and markets agricultural products from 4,730 farmer-members across Vendée and surrounding French departments. The cooperative operates four business poles (Plant, Animal, Distribution, Agro-transformation) producing and selling cereals, oilseeds, livestock (cattle, pigs, poultry, rabbits, sheep), branded food products, and biosourced hemp-based construction materials. It also provides agricultural technical services and operates 39 retail stores (Gamm Vert and AgriVillage) serving both farmers and general consumers.
Product overview
Cavac is a multi-purpose agricultural cooperative operating across agriculture, agri-food, and biomaterials sectors in Vendée, Deux-Sèvres, and surrounding areas of France. Founded in 1965, the group is structured around four main business units: the Végétal (Crop) division handling contractualized crop sectors including cereals, seeds, vegetables, and organic farming; the Animal (Livestock) division managing diverse animal productions including cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, poultry, and rabbits; the Distribution division operating Gamm vert garden centers and AgriVillage stores; and the Agro-transformation division developing biosourced materials and agri-food enterprises. The cooperative commercializes products through multiple sub-brands and subsidiary companies including Gamm vert, Bioporc, Biofournil, Cavac Biomatériaux (hemp-based insulation leader), Eleveurs de Challans (Label Rouge poultry), Val-de-Sèvre (foie gras), Porcineo (pigs), Bovineo (cattle), Volinéo (poultry), CPLB (rabbits), VSO (sheep/goats), and Cevap (veal calves).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Gamm Vert: Garden center retail network with 14 stores, 2 Gamm vert Village, and 23 AgriVillage locations serving farmers and private individuals.
- Atlantique Alimentaire
- Bioporc
- Biofournil
- Cavac Biomatériaux
- Antigny Nutrition
- Agrivia
- Vertys
- VSN Négoce
- Nutri-Vendée
- Catel Roc
- Eleveurs de Challans
- Bovineo
- Porcineo
- CPLB
- Volinéo
- VSO
- Val-de-Sèvre
- Cevap
Products and services
- Agricultural Production Collection and Sales (Pôle Végétal) Contractualized crop sectors covering large-scale crops (cereals, oilseeds, protein crops) and specialized productions (seeds, vegetables, hemp), including organic farming operations. The cooperative collects 850,000 tonnes of cereals and oilseeds annually from farmer-members, with 12,000 ha of seed production and 5,400 ha of vegetable production. 65% of grain collection flows through quality-certified channels.
- Livestock Production and Groupings (Pôle Animal) Diversified livestock production covering cattle (124,000 head, 2,500+ farmers via Bovineo), pigs (188,000 annually via Porcineo, 85% under quality labels), poultry (22.6 million annually via Volinéo and Eleveurs de Challans), rabbits (7.3 million annually via CPLB, France's #1 rabbit grouping), sheep and lambs (25,000), ducks/foie gras (120 producers via Val-de-Sèvre), and veal calves (19,000 annually via Cevap). Includes animal nutrition services.
- Retail Distribution Network (Gamm Vert and AgriVillage) Owned retail network of 39 stores (14 Gamm Vert, 2 Gamm Vert Village, and 23 AgriVillage) offering agricultural supplies, gardening products, pet care, and rural lifestyle products to farmers and general public. Emphasizes proximity and advisory services.
- Cavac Biomatériaux (Biosourced Hemp Insulation) Manufacturing and sale of hemp-based biosourced insulation and construction materials for the building sector. Cavac is a market leader in bio-based construction materials, serving building professionals.
- Bioporc (Organic Pork Brand) Organic pork products from cooperative pig farmers under the Porcineo grouping, distributed through food retail chains and direct sales.
- Biofournil (Organic Bakery Brand) Organic bakery products (bread) manufactured by Cavac's subsidiary and distributed through food retail and direct sales.
- Atlantique Alimentaire (Food Processing Subsidiary) Food processing and manufacturing subsidiary of Cavac group, handling food product transformation and distribution.
- Vertys (Specialty Vegetable Products) Specialty vegetable products brand under Cavac group, offering agricultural and vegetable products.
- Val-de-Sèvre (Duck Foie Gras Production) Duck and foie gras production organization federating 120 producers across 9 departments, with guaranteed margin contracts and shareholder relationship with Delpeyrat, the leading national brand for foie gras commercialization.
- CPLB (Rabbit Production Grouping) France's #1 rabbit grouping (Coopérative des Producteurs de Lapins du Bocage) commercializing over 7 million rabbits annually with proprietary genetics tools and comprehensive service and feed offerings across nine western departments.
- Cavac Services (Agricultural Services Subsidiary) Agricultural services subsidiary providing 100% farmer-focused services and support including technical support, animal nutrition (Antigny Nutrition), farm development consulting, and installation/transmission support services for farmers.
- Cavac Pôle Développement (Farm Installation and Transmission Support) Development pole offering installation, transmission, and farm evolution project support services, including a €2 million livestock endowment fund providing up to €15,000 per UTH for new livestock farmers, and regional animation managers across Centre Océan, Sud Océan, and Nord Bocage territories.
Quantifiable outcome
- 65% of grain collection in quality channels (certified, organic, or fair trade)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Cavac
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cavac technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Cavac partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Avril, Terrena, ArrouzecoreJoint venture Oléosynbio for trituration (crushing) of rapeseed and sunflower, giving new momentum to the French organic oilseed sector. Cavac participates in this consortium to develop local organic oilseed processing and value chains
- Groupe DubreuilmajorJoint experimental project for Biojet (sustainable aviation fuel) production, combining Cavac's agricultural expertise with Dubreuil group's aviation/food operations to develop renewable fuel from agricultural feedstocks
- Agri-ÉthiquecoreFair trade certification organization enabling Cavac farmers to access multi-year contractual pricing (contrats pluriannuels) that guarantee fair remuneration disconnected from commodity market volatility. Over 80,000 tonnes covered by Agri-Éthique contracts
- DelpeyratcoreVal-de-Sèvre (Cavac's duck grouping) is shareholder in Delpeyrat, the major national brand for foie gras commercialization. This vertical integration ensures market access for Cavac's 120 duck producers
- EurialcoreDairy processor for Cavac's dairy sheep production, transforming milk collected from farmers into dairy products. Single long channel with milk collected and transformed by Eurial
- CarrefourminorQuality commitment with Carrefour retailer for Cavac's beef products, providing shelf space and market access for labeled beef from Bovineo farmers
- EliviacoreAbattoir supplying 260 butchers in Pays-de-la-Loire region, processing Cevap veal production under Bleu Blanc Cœur quality label. Approximately half of Cevap's 19,000 annual veals processed at Elivia in Les Herbiers
Scale indicators18 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cavac competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Agrial: Major French multi-purpose agricultural cooperative with crop production, livestock (poultry, dairy), vegetable processing (Florette), and beverage activities. Operates Gamm Vert stores and is one of Cavac's closest functional peers.
- Axereal: French grain cooperative in central France with similar crop collection, processing, and brewing/malting activities; comparable to Cavac's Pôle Végétal and cereal collection scale.
- Terrena: French agricultural cooperative headquartered in western France (Anjou), operating across plant, animal, retail (Gamm Vert), and food processing — a near-perfect structural analogue to Cavac at larger scale.
- Limagrain: French farmer cooperative specializing in seeds, cereals, and vegetable production/processing (Vilmorin, Jacquet-Brossard). Comparable to Cavac's seed activities (12,000 ha) and vegetable production (5,400 ha via Vertys).
- Euralis: Southwest French agricultural cooperative active in grains, foie gras (Rougié), and poultry — directly comparable to Cavac's Val-de-Sèvre/foie gras business and grain pole.
- Cooperl Arc Atlantique: French pork-focused cooperative operating similar Porcineo-style pig grouping and processing activities in western France. Highly comparable on the livestock side and downstream pork value chain.
- Eureden (formerly Triskalia): Breton agricultural cooperative with crop collection, animal production (poultry, eggs, pork), and food processing; comparable to Cavac's diversified cooperative model with overlap in animal and plant poles.
- Vivescia: French cooperative group specializing in grain collection, malting, and flour milling. Comparable to Cavac's grain and seed business with similar industrial processing adjacencies.
Broad incumbents
- InVivo: Union of French agricultural cooperatives operating at national scale in agricultural distribution, grain trading, retail (Gamm Vert franchise), and agri-food. Overlaps with Cavac's distribution and plant activities at a much larger scale.
Regional players
- Sodiaal: French dairy cooperative handling milk collection and dairy processing; comparable to Cavac's dairy-related activities via Eurial partnership and serves a complementary rather than directly competing dairy customer base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cavac social profiles
Digital presenceCavac financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cavac leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Cavac subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries13 records
Cavac funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cavac M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cavac
What does Cavac do?
Cavac is a diversified agricultural cooperative that collects, processes, and markets agricultural products from 4,730 farmer-members across Vendée and surrounding French departments. The cooperative operates four business poles (Plant, Animal, Distribution, Agro-transformation) producing and selling cereals, oilseeds, livestock (cattle, pigs, poultry, rabbits, sheep), branded food products, and biosourced hemp-based construction materials. It also provides agricultural technical services and operates 39 retail stores (Gamm Vert and AgriVillage) serving both farmers and general consumers.
Is Cavac a public or private company?
Cavac is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Cavac founded?
Cavac was founded in 1965. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Cavac based?
Cavac is headquartered in La Roche-sur-yon, France, in the Europe region.
How does Cavac make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Agricultural Product Collection and Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail Distribution (Gamm Vert, AgriVillage), agri-Food Processing and Branded Products, biomaterials (Cavac Biomatériaux) and agricultural Services.
Who are Cavac's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Agrial, Axereal, Terrena, Limagrain, Euralis, Cooperl Arc Atlantique, Eureden (formerly Triskalia) and Vivescia. InVivo is listed as a broad incumbent. Sodiaal is listed as a regional player.
Does Cavac have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cavac.