It all began in 1932 when the first Isigny-sur-Mer dairy Co-operative was formed. In the beginning there were just 42 dairy farmers who joined forces to promote and defend the good name of the Isigny terroir, famous for its milk and butter. In 1945 the Co-operative had 180 members, which rose to nearly 800 by 1970. But it was in 1979 that Isigny Sainte-Mère came into being, following the merger with neighbouring Sainte-Mère-Eglise Dairy Co-operative.

The two co-ops had interlocking zones for their milk collections, they shared the same drive for ever higher quality standards, the same ambitions: everything was bringing them together. Both were built on a respect for skills passed down the generations, a respect for the terroir and the men who shaped it before passing it on to later generations. The Isigny Sainte-Mère dairy Co-operative has become a world famous dairy group and today exports account for over 40% of the total business.

Located between the sea water of the English Channel and the fresh water of the Bessin and Cotentin marshes, the Isigny terroir enjoys a damp and mild climate, as well as a soil rich in clay and silt. The bocage has lush and varied vegetation: the grass is particularly abundant and enriched by the alluvial deposits. The milk from these pastures gains from such generosity on the part of Mother Nature: it is rich in trace elements and has high butterfat levels, which gives all the Isigny Sainte-Mère products their distinctive flavour, starting with the butter and crème fraîche.

It was important to protect the authenticity of these products and to have the Isigny region officially defined. So, very early on, the Isigny milk producers syndicate invested in applying for the protection of Appellation d'Origine Controle (AOC) status. This was granted in June 1986, when Isigny's butter and crème fraîche were recognised as AOC products. The Isigny AOC zone comprises 193 communes: 110 on the Cotentin and 83 in Bessin.

In 2000, as in 1990, the Isigny Sainte-Mère Co-operative received the Prix d’Excellence at the French national agriculture show in Paris. This prize is awarded to the dairy manufacturer which wins the most medals from its successive entries to the Concours General agricole (national food industry awards).

How can we explain such acclaim ? The key in the words a quest for the roots of quality. This quest includes preserving traditional skills and manufacturing procedures, respecting product manuals for AOC, Red Label and Organic Agriculture products to the letter, as well as traceability.

One result was that Isigny Sainte-Mère became the first integrated French food producer to quality for ISO 9001 : 2000 Quality Assurance accreditation in January 1990. Today, this level of certification is an assurance to the consumer that from the milk intake to finished product, every input has been positively identified and checked before going on sale.

What is more, in 1998, the Co-operative has invested in certification for Agri Confiance. This project is just as innovative and will integrate the supply chain even more tightly. The Agri Confiance standard means complete traceability: it sets standards for every participating farm, with a very rigorous accreditation manual. This gives consumers an additional safeguard for their food. In time, this will allow the progress of milk to be followed from the farm to the table. This is a new pledge of quality, authenticity and provenance.