The urgency of the transition is prompting us to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges, and to support creativity and solutions that break with what we know. “Nourrir l’Avenir” supports and accompanies initiatives with a strong social and/or environmental impact, addressing emerging issues and creating new knowledge, services or products for the benefit of as many people as possible. The Foundation encourages projects that open up new avenues, which may be risky and/or break with conventional solutions. These innovations can be organizational, economic, technological or conceptual. They can draw their inspiration from the history of forgotten practices, or from creativity and new opportunities.
La Maison Engagée et Solidaire de l’Alimentation – A sustainable, supportive third-location food facility
VRAC Lyon Métropole
AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES
Since the end of 2022, the Maison Engagée et Solidaire de l’Alimentation (MESA) in Lyon’s 8th arrondissement has offered a restaurant, cafeteria, VRAC grocery store, events and “open kitchen” times, with prices adapted to combat precariousness and leverage food purchasing practices. Collectively-cooked solidarity meals are offered every Tuesday, and their success continues unabated. MESA’s actions and objectives range from the seed to the compost, and of course to the plate.
Tous Convives! Collective itineraries for the right to quality food of choice
AEQUITAZ
AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES
The aim of this project is to extend food democracy to groups and associations involved in the fight against poverty, whose core business is not food. By creating and leading groups of volunteers living in precarious conditions in several areas, including Grenoble, Lyon and the Drôme, the aim is to build “food itineraries” with them and respond to 3 injustices: hunger, lack of choice and unequal access to food that is good for our health and the planet. The aim is to invent, test and share a popular pedagogy of food transition, as well as to develop advocacy and dissemination through events, citizens’ assemblies and inter-collective meetings.
Bringing together those involved in agricultural production and food aid in order to build solutions for access to healthy, local and sustainable food for all.
CIVAM Le Serpolet
BURGUNDY-FRANCHE-COMTÉ
Continuing a partnership based on the creation of agri-rural activities in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, CIVAM Serpolet and ACTIVE Pôle de développement ESS aim to create, lead and support 4 pilot territories around experiments promoting links between players in the agricultural, food aid and social sectors, civil society and the territories, to facilitate access to quality food at a fair and remunerative price for producers. The dissemination of an impact analysis and a methodological booklet highlighting the lessons learned from these experiments will serve as a basis for local, national and European spin-offs.
Development of a local food social security fund in Dieulefit and surrounding area
Villages in Transition
AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES
In Dieulefit, in the Drôme region of France, residents, farmers and shopkeepers have been working together on a voluntary basis since 2021 within a Local Food Council, to make the right to sustainable, chosen food a reality. With a view to creating a local food social security fund, they want to increase the number of outlets, mobilize the population to experiment with collecting contributions and paying an allowance for food purchases, and structure their governance.
The Val d’Oise harvest
Backup 95
ÎLE-DE-FRANCE
Supported by a child protection and prevention association, this initiative emerged in the context of the Projet Alimentaire Territorial. As part of a work-integration program, young people from priority neighborhoods in Cergy Pontoise organize events to sell local produce without margins at the foot of buildings, and raise residents’ awareness of the importance of good-quality food. The aim now is to extend these actions by developing purchasing groups, raising awareness among a wider public and strengthening the economic model.
Building the social side of Bar Radis
Les Ami-e-s Du Bar Radis
AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES
Bar Radis is a third-party space set up on the roof of a parking lot in a new eco-neighborhood in the heart of Grenoble’s working-class districts. The association “Les Ami-e-s du Bar Radis” aims to develop the social and cultural aspect of the place by giving a voice to people in precarious food situations, to imagine and implement ways of making quality food accessible. Mixed discussion circles will reveal the power of action of the people concerned, with the creation of programs and podcasts broadcast via an associative radio station.
Mutuelle de l’Alimentation en Alsace
For an Alsace SSA
GRAND-EST
Founded in 2022, the “Pour une SSA – Alsace” association aims to create a food mutual to facilitate and encourage access to healthy food that respects people and ecosystems, through a hybrid, solidarity-based economic model and a network of outlets operated by contracted partners. It also aims to set up a shared governance system giving citizens the opportunity to steer the development of agricultural sectors.
Co-construction of the shared governance of Soli’doume
ADML63
AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES
Soli’doume seeks to make healthy, sustainable and quality food accessible to as many people as possible, both through financial redistribution, support for changes in eating behaviour, and the mobilisation of all stakeholders in the local food system around this objective. Led by ADML63 (Association for the Development of Local Currencies in the Puy-de-Dôme), this project aims to consolidate the experimental SSA system launched in 2022 by working in particular on the co-construction of a governance tool allowing the opening of the Soli’doum project to a greater number of actors (from production, processing, distribution, but also associations, communities and consumers) who want to participate in the transition to a sustainable food system for all.
Passerelle-Eval: Intervention research to evaluate the impact, process and cost-effectiveness of a cash transfer system coupled with social guidance for households in precarious situations (“Passerelle” system).
Action contre la Faim (ACF)
FRANCE
Carried out in partnership between Action Contre la Faim and INRAE (MOISA), this project aims to co-produce knowledge on the implementation of an unrestricted cash transfer and social orientation scheme for people in precarious situations, and on its effects on food security, well-being and the sustainability of household diets. Following on from a “Passerelle” pilot phase carried out in 2022, the project will assist a minimum of 452 households over a 4-month period, with an amount of €60 per person per month. The results of the evaluation will provide food for thought on alternative approaches to food aid in France.
www.actioncontrelafaim.org/missions/france
Les P’tits MaMaPots
MaMaMa
ÎLE-DE-FRANCE
Born in Saint-Denis during the confinement period, the MaMaMa association fights against food insecurity among children in the Île-de-France region, in partnership with maternal child protection centers (PMI), health centers, social workers and associations. After distributing solidarity parcels, the organization would like to experiment with a system of production-processing-distribution of organic baby food in integration workcamps, with local sourcing from male and female farmers. The aim of the project is to strengthen the physical and economic access of women and children in extremely precarious situations to quality food. The survey carried out in 2022 with ACF highlighted the shortcomings of traditional food aid in meeting the specific nutritional needs of children.
Experimenting with a Social Security Food System for students
CREPAQ
NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE
The project to experiment with an SSA for students on the Bordeaux campuses is being led by two associations: CREPAQ (association régionale d’action pour une transition écologique et solidaire en Nouvelle Aquitaine) and LA GEMME (association gérant la monnaie locale de Gironde). CREPAQ is heavily involved in the fight against food waste and precariousness, but places this involvement within the framework of food resilience and democracy, which must profoundly transform the food system and give citizens back the power to act. The SSA project for
The aim of this project is to give students back the financial leeway they need to access sufficient, healthy, high-quality, local and sustainable foodstuffs in approved stores and producers. The project is being co-constructed with student associations, the universities and schools concerned, local authorities and local food associations, and plans to involve researchers in its evaluation process.
STRatégies Agroalimentaires pour un Territoire écologique, Solidaire et Démocratiques (STRATES Democracy)
AAU-CRENAU Laboratory
PAYS DE LA LOIRE
This research-action project tackles the issues of territorial commons and a new social contract on metropolitan-rural food. Participatory and strategic, this initiative brings together 3 groups involved in experimenting with the co-construction of territorial policies: elected representatives and citizens involved in the Plessé Municipal Agricultural Policy (agroecological transformation, reception, installation and transmission, citizen soil preservation, short circuits), those involved in the Nantes Métropole agricultural installation and transmission policy and the Nantes-Redon Reciprocity Contract, and the group involved in the Nantes Common Food Fund experiment. Seminars, visits and the publication of a book will mark the course of this research.
Advocacy for food democracy: promoting and sharing the voice of people affected by food insecurity
VRAC Paris
ÎLE-DE-FRANCE
Since 2021, VRAC Paris has been supporting a collective of residents in the Charles Hermite district who are meeting to regain the power to act on their access to sustainable food. The aim of the project is to build a food democracy in Paris, by strengthening the capacity of citizen collectives in the 18th and 19th arrondissements, concerned by food insecurity, to build advocacy and bring it to the attention of political and institutional bodies. Mobilizing a popular education method developed by Aequitaz, the actions involve accompanying the collective to better understand the food system; imagining possible actions inspired by existing initiatives; building the advocacy and bringing it to a day of restitution.
An integrated solution to meet the challenges of agricultural production and changing consumption patterns
La Butinerie
ÎLE-DE-FRANCE
Bringing together public, private and civic players in Pantin, La Butinerie is a third-party food center, a place to live, to learn about nutrition and social justice, to work on the issue of food sovereignty, to support and experiment with solutions, based on the social realities of vulnerable residents. This house of food well-being includes a Biocoop store, a canteen, a café, a kitchen and a garden, all of which are used for events. This multi-year project is developing a number of actions around convivial times, exchanges and information, nutritional workshops, and product distributions during the Marché sur l’eau.
Les Paniers du Quartier: action-research for greater solidarity and democratization in our food supply
Maison de Quartier St Nicolas
AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES
In Romans-sur-Isère, a group of 3 social centers is working to improve access to quality food for local residents, based on the Social Security Food initiative. Drawing on their experience with a mobile, solidarity-based cannery and neighborhood food baskets, the project will provide a better understanding of the obstacles and levers to access to food, through a research-action approach; structure 3 citizen collectives around solidarity-based purchasing groups and an assembly to consider setting up a common food fund; raise awareness among residents through workshops.
www.maisonsdequartier.fr/index.php
From an experiment with hanging baskets to a concerted social food scheme in rural areas
Bio Ariège-Garonne BAG
OCCITANIE
Supported by the Bio Ariège Garonne association, this project aims to improve access for all to healthy, fair and sustainable food in the rural area of Saint-Girons. Its objectives are to develop a micro-experiment of solidarity baskets financed by Biocoop customers and private players, and to develop it according to the principles of food democracy and Social Food Security (SSA). This experience will be shared with regional and national networks active in SSA, agricultural transition and food democracy.
Growing, cooking and creating together
La Maison partagée
CENTER
Created by the ATD Fourth World Committee, the Maison partagée is located in the former social center of Les Gauchetières, in the political district of Le Val in the rural commune of Nogent-le-Rotrou. Bringing together people facing extreme hardship and the more affluent, producers and local solidarity players, the project plans to develop and equip a nourishing garden, set up a shared kitchen and kneading trough, social and cultural activities (workshops, events, training/information, etc.), health activities (awareness-raising, care) and, in the longer term, a social housing facility. It also envisages the development of a solidarity market and the creation of a solidarity fund dedicated to food accessibility for the underprivileged.
www.atd-quartmonde.fr/un-jardin-partage-pour-cultiver-la-terre-et-les-rencontre
La Passerelle Negreneys
Sozinho Association
OCCITANIE
Located to the north of Toulouse, the Passerelle Negreneys is a social space that works daily with the residents of this “Quartier Politique de la Ville” through cultural and artistic events. The project aims to create a participatory catering service, as well as educational workshops and facilities for culinary project leaders. The Foundation’s support is intended in particular for the creation of the incubator and the financing of training courses on sustainable food and waste management.
Suspended Markets
Occitanie Solidarity Economy Movement
OCCITANIE
The Mouvement pour l’Économie Solidaire Occitanie is a network of organizations, companies and citizens that advocates on 3 pillars:
- Citizenship and economic democracy in a perspective of social justice, human and cultural rights
- The transformation of socio-economic models & a systemic ecological, economic, democratic, social and societal transition
- Local territorial development with a focus on emancipation and popular education.
In a context where food aid is used as an outlet for agro-industrial surpluses, and where disadvantaged citizens are seen as beneficiaries at the end of the chain, Marchés Suspendus phase 2 (logistics and animation) proposes a niche local supply chain – based on 10 open-air or covered farmers’ markets in Toulouse, bringing together disadvantaged people, producers and consumers.