The “MIEL” (HONEY) Local Currency of the Bordeaux region to promote short and local circuits

Context

In all places, at all times, the creation of complementary local currencies (MLC) has several objectives to which the MIEL tends to respond:

• Boost local exchanges and the local economy because the validity of the currency is limited to a territory, serving the local economic force (small local shops, local producers, etc.). Unlike the Euro, the MIEL does not evaporate in speculative markets or non-virtuous financing. It is also not used as savings since it loses its value every 6 months (melting). It therefore constantly produces wealth by allowing more trade in the local real economy.
• Maintain and create jobs in the territory encouraging local consumption thus boosting the local economy.
• Encourage exchanges between citizens because money is a strong identity symbol.
• Reduce the ecological impact because the creation of a currency encourages local producers, and therefore short circuits. Thus, the transport of products is reduced and climate change minimized.

Project

The Currency of Local Economic Interest, MIEL, is an association which was created in Libourne. It is a complementary currency. The MIEL brings together traders, producers, companies, therapists or associations who offer to accept this currency, the value of which is indexed to the euro for any payment of service or goods, today in the form of coupons or tickets.

Providers who accept the MIEL agree to try to use it with their suppliers who are members of the MIEL association. By adhering to the currency, they recognize a charter which encourages them to favor, as much as possible, local trade and local producers, to commit themselves to respect the environment, to favor social ties and not to establish aggressive competition.

Values

Local Citizen and Complementary Coins (MLCC), like the MIEL, try to get involved in an educational project by questioning the consumer, making him aware that he is a consumer-actor. He must choose how and where he consumes. Even though we know that many have no choice, we hope that we can put pressure on the decision-makers who can make a difference. For this we must be very numerous and we are part of a movement made of alternative and peaceful proposals.

The governance

The MIEL association is made up of several bodies for its governance. It includes: the governing body, the loans committee and the territorial alveoli. Each cell operates independently in terms of the management of its members and users, creates its own information and events, develops its own network of volunteers, but remains closely linked to other groups for more general decisions. which concern at the same time the image, the representation and the preservation of the ethics of the MIEL.

The Little Extra

The MIEL also aims to be a financial support for its partners. Thus, it offers a partnership which makes it possible to stimulate exchanges within the network, to free up financial resources for the association and to strengthen ties around a major territorial project.

Results

MIEL already had 158 MIEL providers on January 1, 2017, across the territory. MIEL can now support the players in its territory thanks to the support fund. This fund is a solidarity micro-loan, without guarantee and without interest. It is allocated after a collegial decision by the members of MIEL via the loans committee. From a maximum amount of 4,000 euros in 2017, the threshold was raised to 5,000 euros in 2018.

Written by Claire Caillaud, volunteer LFC - May 2019. 

Last modification : 06 Apr 2020.