Feeding the Future 2020: 13 winning projects!

New projects throughout France to accelerate the agricultural and food transition allow universal access to healthy food, respectful of people and ecosystems.

Innovative solutions to emerging issues

For the second year in a row, the “Feeding the Future” call for projects aims to encourage innovations to accelerate the transition to sustainable food. Conducted in partnership with the FAMAE Foundation, this year’s call selected 13 projects following a rigorous selection process.

After a pre-selection phase and in-depth examination of the applications, the projects were examined by a jury composed of experts who presented their recommendations to the Foundation’s Executive Committee.

We wanted to respond to the challenges of the transition by exploring emerging themes, which we can think will gain in importance and, in the long term, become structuring of our agriculture (including livestock and fishing) and our food. We also seek to support innovative solutions that create new knowledge, services or products for the benefit of as many people as possible.

These projects, in the seed phase, benefit from a solid conceptual basis and require field testing in their fields of activity and in a given territory to prove their concept. We will support the 13 winners both financially and structurally as well as through networking.

Supported projects

Casalez and Ecosec: asecond life for wastewater and fertilisers

Water and mineral phosphorus are becoming increasingly rare and concentrated in our cities, our waste and our wastewater. Casalez and Ecosec are experimenting with recovering this water and fertilizer to feed a vertical urban garden in a shared housing project in Prades-le-Lez (Hérault). This garden will help feed its inhabitants and combat heat islands. http://casalez.fr/association/

Ecological awareness and impact: atool for sustainable fast food

Fast food (60% of French restaurants and growing strongly) is struggling to combine low prices with nutritional or environmental quality. Conscience et Impact Ecologique is developing and testing a diagnostic tool on about 40 fast-food restaurants, to help them in their choices and to support them in changing practices (supply, recipes, waste management, etc.). http://association-cie.fr/

Fab’lim:guides for short circuits

The development of short circuits and local food policies often requires the use of specialist “supporters” from agricultural networks, associations, local authorities, etc. Fab’lim proposes to create a network of coaches in order to capitalize on and share their experiences, their tools and to develop new ones in collaborative and open source mode. http://fablim.org/

Farms of the future: takinginto account the “hidden costs” on farms

The hidden costs of our agriculture and food, water pollution, health etc. are not taken into account by the market. Based on the CARE method, Fermes d’avenir proposes to develop a business accounting system that makes it possible to integrate these hidden costs into the accounts of farms, in order to account for the real cost of their production. https://fermesdavenir.org/

La Fumainerie:when our needs meet those of the planet

Cities concentrate agricultural fertilizers, so costly to produce, in our toilets. In Bordeaux, La Fumainerie is experimenting with reusing our precious offerings to fertilize our farmland. It is testing the economic feasibility, social acceptability and conditions for widespread use. This is manure: a by-product of the human digestive system, used for agricultural purposes. https://www.lafumainerie.com/accueil

INRAE: newrelationships with the biosphere

The relationship between humans and the biosphere has been built on a historical relationship of exploitation, explaining certain productivist or utilitarian excesses, in livestock farming for example. INRAE and various actors in the food chain are exploring the changes that would result from a different relationship, based on the partnership with the biosphere and its implications for agriculture. https://www.inrae.fr/

Les Jardins du Girou: acooperative food ecosystem

French demand for organic market garden products is growing faster than supply, encouraging buyers to import. Les Jardins du Girou, an integration farm, proposes to develop a cooperative food ecosystem in Toulouse including the development of a very large organic market gardening farm (15ha) and a logistics and marketing system shared between about 50 producers and as many buyers. https://cocagnehautegaronne.org/nous-contacter/les-jardins-du-girou-3/

Melting meals: athird place for food

Under the impetus of farmers, Melting popote is developing an experimental food third place in the Clunisois allowing farmers to increase their income by processing unsold products, to group purchases and deliveries, to pool services, to learn, to join networks… A space at the service of the transition. https://www.enclunisois.com/laboratoire-agroalimentaire/

Phyto-victims: prevention onphyto-victims

The use of phytosanitary products continues to increase despite societal demand and certain environmental policies. Phyto-victimes, which supports over 500 farmers suffering from pesticide-related illnesses, is developing an information campaign aimed at future farmers, with testimonials and exhibitions in agricultural high schools. https://www.phyto-victimes.fr/page/466997-accueil

Open seas:artisanal fishing in short circuits thanks to an app

Artisanal fishing, a victim of overfishing, is renowned for its low ecological footprint. However, despite the booming demand for local products, it is struggling to compete with industrial fishing. The Pleine mer association is developing an application to facilitate short-circuit sales of their fish, while encouraging fishermen to adopt agro-ecological practices via a contract with the consumer. https://associationpleinemer.com/

RENETA: anexperiment for salaried entrepreneurship in agriculture

At a time when the number of farmers is falling dramatically, new farmers are finding it hard to set up, often without social security cover and at the cost of high investment. The status of salaried agricultural entrepreneur has recently been tested, and seems to mitigate these risks. The Réseau National des Espaces-Test Agricoles documents and capitalizes on these experiences, making them visible to new farmers. https://reneta.fr/

Cocagne Network: understandingfood third places

In France, people in precarious situations have difficulty gaining access to quality food. Three integration farms in the Cocagne network have set up third-party food outlets with a social vocation, in solidarity with these groups. Réseau Cocagne analyzes these pilot sites to understand their impact, how they work and the conditions for their development. http://www.reseaucocagne.asso.fr/

VRAC Bordeaux: changingyour diet

The agricultural and food transition will involve a reduction in our meat diet. Vrac, Cap Sciences and e-Graine are supporting families in Bordeaux’s priority neighbourhoods in this reduction, and with them, are developing tools and public policy proposals to accelerate this change in diet. https://bordeaux.vrac-asso.org/

New partners in Sustainable Food

These new winners join and complement the projects that we are currently supporting as part of our various programs around Sustainable Food. These programs aim in particular to better understand, spread and publicize solutions tested and proven by the actors that the Foundation has supported over the past 10 years.

With Nourishing the Future, the projects encourage us to anticipate the challenges of tomorrow, to seek creativity and solutions that break with those we know. It is with all our partners that we are responding to the urgency of the transition, for sustainable, democratic, solidarity-based and agroecological food in France but also in Spain.