Two students created a startup to support farmers switching to organic products

When Maxime’s great-uncle, a farmer from Brittany, wanted to convert his farm to organic, he faced many of the difficulties that farmers faced in the transition. “He had all the restrictions of organic production for three years, with no label, no reward,” recalls the man who now leads a team of 26.

In order to move from classic “traditional” production to organic production, farmers must stop using synthetic chemicals and GMOs in particular, and sometimes may have lower yields. A period that has a cost and during which they are unlikely to be able to sell their products at the price of organic.

Risk ? That they will not be able to endure the financial shock, like Maxim’s great-uncle. “Unfortunately, he spent two years in wrestling and was not successful. He had to stop the farm. At the time, a young student from Skema in Lille did not understand “how it is possible that a farmer who wants to do everything well cannot go through with his transition.” And he decides to roll up his sleeves with his friend Stefan in UTM Centrale Lille. “We were students and we were convinced that organics, first of all, have a positive impact on soil, water, biodiversity, and also on employment. »

“We went to the markets selling apples and pears from a local producer”

Of the two, it is Stefan who is particularly familiar with the agricultural environment through his grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts. At the age of 21, two friends decided to go on an adventure that later became their business: “We made inquiries and went to the markets selling processed apples and pears from a local producer at a price that was considered fair. »

They were still students at the time and through Enactus, an entrepreneurship training program, met entrepreneurs who offered them “a breath of fresh air because it wasn’t easy between classes, the entrepreneurship and side jobs we had to eat.” ”, Maxim recalls.

Very quickly, they spend all their weekends driving to the markets to sell other farmers’ conversion products. Then apple juice and flour are added to fruits and vegetables. “But there were not enough markets, so we went shopping. We have For Tomorrow, which is distributed in organic stores and Transition, in supermarkets. »

“You can eat organic food for cheap”

Their principle is simple: mass distribution buys products “at a fair price” from farmers and, through a kind of intermediate label, promotes the products to the end consumer “so that he can help the farmer switch to organic products”: “That’s +60% compared to what would have happened without us, our social influence is obvious, ”emphasizes Maxim. “Ultimately, the consumer gets access to a near-organic product, but at a slightly lower cost. »

A market that allowed them to reach over a million sales last year. “Even if organic stores are struggling and purchasing power is a priority, we know it’s temporary: moving towards sustainable farming is the point of the story. And that requires good communication.

A point of view shared by Laura Verdot, head of Agence BIO and for whom the issue is not only financial: “There is a market that needs to be stimulated: Nespresso capsules at 80 euros per kilogram or salad bags are selling very well. Spreading the word about organic products is meant to stimulate this market, just like in the days when we aired commercials for milk in prime time. You can eat organic for cheap, you need time to think and grease your elbows. »