Following the creation of its beef, lamb, chicken or fruit and vegetable (“Eist Uebst a Geméis”) supply chains, Cactus, in partnership with La Provençale and the organic farm Biohaff Steichen, officially launched its seventh supply chain on 17 October 2025: “BIO PORC vum Lëtzebuerger Bauer.” Three partners with one shared ambition: to promote 100% Luxembourgish production that is organic, sustainable and respectful of animal welfare.
A trusted partnership between three players
This seventh organic pork supply chain is founded on a cooperation agreement between three actors: Cactus; La Provençale, in charge of meat cutting; and the central pillar of the project, the “Biohaff Steichen” farm owned by Michel and Lynn Steichen, who raise pigs according to organic farming standards.
“We are very proud to launch this partnership today, which perfectly illustrates our ‘farm to fork’ ambition: building together, with the country’s farmers and producers, a more sustainable and meaningful food model for all our customers,” said Véronique Schmitt, Marketing, Communication and CSR Director at Cactus.
As Ms Schmitt pointed out, offering organic Luxembourgish pork may seem obvious, but setting up such a supply chain in practice is no simple task. “The right partners need to be found—those who share the same vision—and that requires many discussions.”
Laurent Schonckert, Managing Director of the Cactus Group, spoke about the long road required to establish trust between Cactus and consumers through transparent communication. “Pig farming is often criticised for its sometimes highly industrial nature. We therefore wanted to create a supply chain that would stand out in terms of quality for our customers.” That goal has now been achieved thanks to the collaboration with Biohaff Steichen.
A pioneering farm in organic pig farming in Luxembourg
At the heart of this new supply chain is Biohaff Steichen in Welscheid—the only farm in the Grand Duchy that raises pigs in accordance with organic farming standards.
Its founder, Michel Steichen, chose organic production and animal welfare as guiding principles: his pigs live in three times the space available in conventional farming and have free access to the outdoors. Biohaff Steichen is committed to maintaining the quality, consistency and traceability of its production. “Of course, it’s more demanding and more expensive,” explains the farmer, “but when you see how the animals live, you realise it’s the right path to take.”
A short supply chain
“It doesn’t get any shorter than this in Luxembourg!” enthuses Jo Studer from La Provençale, a partner in the project. “At La Provençale, we had already built a special facility to house a 100% organic butchery, because it was important to carry out this project fully—just as Michel and Lynn Steichen have done, investing everything in their farm to make it happen.”
From farm to plate, the journey covers an average of just 60 kilometres. The pigs are raised on the Steichen family’s land in Welscheid, then sent to the Ettelbruck abattoir. The meat is afterwards taken to La Provençale in Leudelange for cutting, before being delivered to Cactus’s main warehouse in Bertrange and distributed to its various stores across the country.
Pork – one of Luxembourg’s favourite meats
Ms Schmitt referred to figures from the Ministry showing that pork is among the most popular meats in Luxembourg, with an average consumption of 31 kilograms per person per year—a large share of which is imported. “It was important for us at Cactus to enter this market and add real value by contributing to a more sustainable form of consumption,” she emphasised at the press conference.
From 27 October, the “Bio Porc vum Lëtzebuerger Bauer” range will be available in Cactus stores nationwide. In total, 15 products will delight pork lovers: minced meat, burgers, meatballs, cordon bleu, tenderloin, chops, medallions, roasts, bacon, Wainzossis sausages and more.
Pictures: Cactus.
