Division 5.1 Specificity of the geographical area

West Flanders lends itself to traditional agriculture with mixed farms. The province is described as follows: ‘West Flanders is a low-lying area […]. It enjoys a very favourable maritime climate and consists mainly of very rich agricultural land: behind the line of dunes, the soil is a heavy polder soil; the southern half of the province consists of a fertile sandy loam, while sandy soil is confined to the Bruges-Torhout-Tielt triangle. Apart from in the sandy area, farmers in West Flanders have a whole range of land management and crop rotation possibilities open to them.’

Livestock farming has always occupied an important position in West Flanders, thanks to the proximity of the North Sea and the characteristic maritime climate. The maritime climate is strongly influenced by the warm Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean. This means that there are few really cold or really warm days in West Flanders. This, in combination with the fact that the area has the most hours of sunshine in Belgium, favours a rich growth of grass and grassland products, which are the most important food source for the ‘Red’ cattle breed. The rich grass produces a tasty meat with a touch of creaminess.

Keepers of ‘Red’ cattle breed in West Flanders hand their know-how down from generation to generation: the animals are allowed to graze outside as long as the weather permits and are reared primarily on coarse fodder. Furthermore, they are slaughtered quite a bit later than beef cattle of other breeds. Cattle farmers in West Flanders run mixed agricultural holdings which are closely tied to the local traditions and have adapted to the geographical and climatic conditions. Alongside livestock farming, arable crops such as wheat, barley, sugar beet, potatoes and maize are also grown and are traditionally used as coarse fodder for this breed of cattle.