duBreton in Quebec: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
duBreton is a third-generation family pork business in Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec, founded in 1944 and working with a network of more than 300 family farms in Ontario and Quebec. It says it raised more than 340,000 pigs crate-free and was the first pork company in Canada to earn Certified Humane status.
| Location | Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec (farms in Quebec and Ontario) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1944 by Napoleon and Adrienne Breton |
| Sectors | pork; organic pork; Certified Humane pork |
| Scale | More than 300 family farms; 115 barns converted or built; about 20,000 head processed per week (2015 report) |
| Why it is elite | Leader in organic and Certified Humane pork in Canada, by its own account |
| Ownership | Breton family, third generation (Vincent Breton, president) |
| Official website | duBreton LifeOfPigs.com consumer site (named in the company release) |
History of duBreton
duBreton was founded in 1944 by Napoleon and Adrienne Breton and is described as a third-generation family farming business, with Vincent Breton as president. It started the process toward Certified Humane status in 2003 and, according to Humane Farm Animal Care as quoted in the company release, was the first pork company in Canada to receive it.
The company later set a goal of 300,000 crate-free pigs in three years and surpassed it, reaching more than 340,000. It reports over $40 million invested in more humane farming, and 93 barns that meet Canada Organic and USDA Organic standards.
What duBreton Grows and Raises
duBreton works with a network of more than 300 family farms in Ontario and Quebec. Its pigs are raised without antibiotics and fed a grain diet with no animal by-products, with hay or straw resting areas. It holds Certified Humane, Global Animal Partnership 5-Step and Canada Organic certifications.
A 2015 article reported organic pork at 40 to 50 percent of annual production and about 20,000 head processed per week. Quebec's hog sector represented 29.6 percent of Canadian pigs and 15.7 percent of Quebec farm revenue in the 2021 Census, so duBreton sits in a major provincial sector.
How duBreton Makes Money
Certified organic and humane pork
Premium certifications let the company sell a differentiated product to retailers, including organic pork lines.
Network of partner farms
Rather than owning every barn, duBreton works with family farmers, converting existing barns and building new ones.
Processing and brand
The company processes and markets pork under its own brands, using the LifeOfPigs.com site to explain its practices.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from duBreton
Certification can be a pathway to premium pricing, but it takes years and capital. Partner-farm networks spread risk and let family farms stay independent.
Public pledges with numeric goals (300,000 pigs) build credibility with buyers when the goal is met and reported.
Raising pigs with straw and good manners is a serious business. At farm.FM the farm satire writers respect a pork company that cares enough about hogs to write them a resting area. The farm humor is gentle here, as is the ranch humor about barns with better bedding than some of our editors. Pork farm jokes tend to be a little hammy, but this family deserves a respectful snort of approval.
farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, also runs Tractor Tunes, a country music lineup for farmers. For a sample of the writing, try the archive of one of its staff humorists.
How to Contact duBreton
Website: https://www.lifeofpigs.com/
The main corporate site was not found in this research and no address, phone or email is listed. LifeOfPigs.com is the consumer site named in duBreton's announcement.
duBreton Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- LifeOfPigs.com - duBreton consumer site on animal raising practices
- duBreton crate-free milestone - Company announcement with history and figures
- duBreton organic push - Report on organic share and volume
- Statistics Canada 2021 Census of Agriculture, Quebec - Hog sector share of Quebec farms and revenue
- MAPAQ agriculture statistics - Quebec ministry data on agricultural sectors
duBreton FAQ
Where is duBreton?
Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec, with partner farms in Quebec and Ontario.
When was it founded?
1944, by Napoleon and Adrienne Breton.
What certifications does it hold?
Certified Humane, Global Animal Partnership 5-Step and Canada Organic.
How many farms are in its network?
More than 300 family farms in Ontario and Quebec.
duBreton shows how a family pork business can build a premium position through partner farms and certifications. See our Quebec farms guide and the other profiled operations for more.