Navigating Challenges and Opportunities in the Wild Venison Supply Chain
The wild venison supply chain has never been straightforward, and for the last 50 years, we have seen the interest in wild venison from UK and European markets peak and trough. Navigating the complexities and finding alignment among various stakeholders can be akin to traversing a dense forest. Each player holds distinct interests from the landowners seeking to manage deer populations to the processors striving for quality and sustainability and consumers looking for quality and traceability reassurance. However, these paths can converge with the development of a robust and transparent system that supports land management objectives, venison quality, traceability, and market viability.
In this blog post, we delve into the current process, the questions, concerns, and aspirations surrounding the wild venison supply chain, exploring stakeholders’ perspectives, and shedding light on efforts to address challenges and seize opportunities.
Current process
Wild venison is produced from the essential management of deer populations across the country, to protect and enhance biodiversity, reduce impacts to arable crops and promote the establishment of new woodlands. This management provides a nutritious source of healthy and sustainable wild meat.
Deer culled enter the food chain via Approved Game Handling Establishments, (AGHE) regulated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) or through exemptions in the Wild Game Regulations via local processors, regulated under Local Authority (LA) guidance.
All premises, chillers, and suppliers to AGHE’s are required to be registered as Food Businesses with their local authority, and all carcasses inspected by a deer stalker who holds the large game meat hygiene certificate.
Those supplying directly into the local markets via local processing must also register with their local authority.
The numbers of wild deer are continuing to increase, both in number and range across many areas of England and Wales.
An increase in the numbers culled is required to maintain low impacts on a range of land management objectives. To enable this, we need to develop a more robust venison supply chain that provides reliable markets for deer culled and increases the use of wild venison in the UK.
Enhancing the wild venison market
To increase the market for British wild venison we have been working across the supply chain to develop a more robust consistent marketplace. Large-scale buyers are interested in ensuring that food products have food safety at the core of production, including traceability, audited cold chains, and high welfare standards.
To help support this the Wild Venison Working Group has developed the British Quality Wild Venison (BQWV) Standard.
Here we take a look at some key questions and concerns surrounding the introduction of the BQWV Standard.
1. Why bring in an assurance scheme when traceability processes are already in place?
While existing processes exist, they often lack robust checks and oversight, leading to a lack of confidence among buyers. An independent annual audit is crucial to establish trust and ensure quality throughout the supply chain.
2. How does the assurance scheme aim to address challenges arising from oversupply and competition between public and private sectors?
Many producers (deer stalkers) have experienced difficulties in selling carcasses to processors (AGHE’s) due to fluctuating demand and oversupply.
By working with the food service sector, we hope to develop new markets for British Quality Wild Venison. This will help to smooth out the peaks and troughs of market demand, providing larger and more consistent markets.
3. How can the different interests of stakeholders be reconciled?
Collaboration is paramount. Price points need to work throughout the supply chain. By bringing together stakeholders from various sectors to shape the BQWV Standard, we strive to align interests and work towards common objectives, ultimately led by the protection of our landscape and producing high-quality affordable venison to a diverse and new marketplace.
4. Will the assurance scheme lead to market monopolisation?
The scheme aims to support a thriving market while allowing for diversity in sales channels. There is no intention of monopolisation, and BQWV aims to be inclusive of both local and national producers and processors. Throughout the supply chain, producers and processors must adhere to standards and regulations. Alternative markets to those currently in place do exist, both at a local and national level. Some will take time to develop, but others are already developing. BQWV will work with the supply chain to help support producers and processors regardless of size.
Conclusion
Challenges do exist throughout the wild venison supply chain, yet opportunities for collaboration and innovation also exist. It’s about taking the status quo and building on it with a robust auditing process to foster transparency, cooperation, and inclusivity. By introducing the BQWV Standard, we can pave the way for a sustainable and thriving industry.
Look out for our next blog, which explores the BQWV Standard in more depth and explains how you can make an application whether you are a small or large producer, processor, or AGHE. To find out more about the BQWV Standard, visit the website.
Lead Photo by Mike Tinnion on Unsplash
