France Montpellier
Social and Economic Equity
Supply & Distribution
Sustainable diets & Nutrition

Locavorium, distributing local food for sustainable food equity

Private

Locavorium

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Context

Locavorium is a new kind of distribution concept and the answer to the urgent social need to consume better, with confidence, in a responsible and human manner. Imagined by 3 agricultural engineers, lovers of terroirs and good products, Locavorium's mission is to make local quality food products accessible, at a fair price for the producer and beneficial for consumers. Indeed, using short and local circuits, Locavorium wants to support local agriculture and develop a regional economy.

Project

Locavorium is the first 100% local mini-market in France, whose referencing is governed by a selection charter which is specific to them and which ensures fair remuneration for producers, accessible prices for consumers and quality of production in terms of health and environment. The store is located in a town in the Montpellier urban community (Saint-Jean de Védas).

Initial intention:

Offer a place with easy access for all, where people can do their "classic" shopping with a selection of products that meet sustainable development criteria. Locavorium has chosen to set up a product selection charter, so that all consumers know what they have in their shopping basket and are satisfied that their purchase is consistent with their values. This charter is based on three selection criteria which must be respected for each product: local, direct supply by the producer and quality of production.

Implementation

The project leaders took about a year to put the project on the table (market research study, finding a location, finding  producers, looking for funding, ...).

The procedures to set the project up were fairly standard. The operational implementation was done little by little (interior fittings of the store, communication on our project, daily store management, ...)

The Locavorium celebrated its third anniversary in 2018. Since its creation, Locavorium has been accompanied, supported and recognized by partners from all horizons: companies, institutions, communities, associations, media. Today it is an actor that counts;

The Locavorium team is committed to developing more by word of mouth than through conventional advertising.

“We created this shop on the model of the family grocery store because in today's agriculture, we felt that we could not apply what we had just learned in our agricultural engineering school, and we love doing everything ourselves," says Jessica Gros, co-founder of Locavorium with Damien Roux and Thibaud Piroux (Le Parisien, December 2018)

How the project came about :

"When we were students in agronomy school, we often talked about sustainable development and responsible agriculture, and in fact, we personally wanted to consume in accordance with these learnings. But as students, it wasn’t easy, firstly for budget reasons, and secondly for practical reasons. We realized that we lacked a kind of supermarket that was accessible in terms of price and offering "quality" products. We realized that other consumers probably had the same need, so we had the idea of ​​creating a store that would meet that need. "

Jessica GROS , co-funder

Medios 

A bank loan for interior fittings to start with. For everything else, we went step by step to be able to self-finance everything (progressive hiring of staff, purchase of just-in-time goods, renewal of equipment, ...)

Agroecology at the service of your "eating well"

Locavorium wants to participate in developing agroecology by relying on its own quality charter http://locavorium.org/charte-qualite/  that results from an R&D program based on precision and field work by agronomists, to select producers and improve product quality. 

Its distribution is said to be innovative in that it engages in a short circuit distribution model. Their job is to act as intermediary between the consumer and the producer in the service of a healthy and responsible food model.

Indeed, the store is based on 3 commitments:

☛ local origin: the products are local, the farthest being 150 km away

☛ solidarity circuit: the only intermediary, or rather semi-intermediary as it is designated, is Locavorium. The producers are free to choose the products they sell and to fix their prices etc.

☛ quality products: the team travels to producers to measure compatibility with their quality charter and tests the products before putting them on the shelves. The products are artisanal, organic, from local farms, Appellation d’Origine Controlée (AOP). Indeed several ‘appellations’ rub shoulders on the shelves.

Project leaders

  • Thibaud: Agricultural engineer and amateur of natural landscapes.
  • Jessica: Agronomist, passionate about short circuits.
  • Damien: Agronomist, passionate about agroecology and fervent defender of French gastronomy.

The Locavorium partners include over 200 individuals who helped launch the project with their generous donations via a crowdfunding platform.

Impact

>> Environmental side: selection of producers with virtuous agricultural practices (organic farming, biodynamics, sustainable farming, ...), consumption of seasonal products (therefore fewer inputs and less artificial energy used), meat from extensive livestock breeding that does not consume artificial energy, ...

>> On the societal side: creation of direct jobs (at the Locavorium) and indirect jobs (among producers who are better paid for the work and who have a solid outlet having established a partnership over three years); revitalization of the local economy; accessibility to a large number of quality food products.

Results

Today, in all, the Locavorium represents 18 full-time employees, for all missions: management, cash desk, shelving, etc. The Locavorium has around 10,000 customers and works with 230 producers.

NEED OR OFFER IN MATERIAL: provision of vehicle, offices

NEED OR OFFER OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT: assistance in setting up funding applications. 

The Little Extra

The innovation of this project essentially lies in the implementation of a selection specification which is not based solely on the profitability of the products offered, but above all on the societal and environmental interest of these. A second sales point is planned in another area of ​​Montpellier. 

Written by Clémence Guignard, LFC volunteer - June 2019. 

Last modification : 30 Apr 2020.

Locavorium

60 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie 34430 SAINT JEAN DE VEDAS

Locavorium is an innovative store of quality food products, 100% local, 100% direct from producers, and 100% from France.

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