Crowdbutching - share a cow

Crowdbutching is an innovative approach taken by a Dutch company to sell their meat online.

Mirjam Bont from Network Platteland (the Netherlands Rural Network) has kindly contributed this story.

To buy a cow with family or neighbors and share the meat. Previously, everyone did. At www.koopeenkoe.nl  (which translates as 'purchasing a cow') they still believe in this method, but in a modern way.

Crowdbutching they call it. Consumers order online together the meat of a cow. Only when the whole cow is sold, are they slaughtered, matured, cooled and brought home. There is nothing lost!

A spokesperson from koopenkoe.nl explains:

"We started in early 2014 with the launch of ‘koopeenkoe.nl’. A website where consumers buy a good package of meat from which it is clear where the meat comes from and how the cows have lived. Everything starts at the thought: eat less meat, but eat well and traceable meat."

On the website consumers buy a package of meat. Once the customer has paid, this is reflected on the visual of the cow on the website - with more area shaded after each purchase. If the cow is completely full, then the cow is sold to be slaughtered.

After the payment, customers are kept informed of progress. First they get a mail when the cow is sold, then when it is slaughtered, matured and when the cow will be brought home.

"So we keep telling the customers about the process and it allows us to tell the story of ‘koopeenkoe.nl’. That's the whole idea and execution of Crowdbutching."

If you are a Dutch speaker you can read the full version on the Network Platteland website.