Paysans d'ici is the pioneering organic fair trade range from France in mass distribution. It has been available in Reunion since the beginning of the year. An exemplary range and a novelty in Reunion that Chocorun introduces us to, local distributor of SCOP Ethiquable products, big French name in fair trade and organic.
Ethiquable sources its supplies from 80 fair trade channels, i.e. 48,990 producers from 28 Latin American countries, Africa, Asia. But Ethiquable also supplies itself in France. And these are the products of French organic farmers which can now be discovered in Reunion. Paysans d'ici is the first fair trade brand of French origin launched in supermarkets in 2011. References, it must be reported, which do not really compete with local organic production : wheat flours, spelled, rye, buckwheat, Agen prune puree, chestnut cream, vine peach puree, jams, Juice, shortbread, infusions, oils, aromatic herbs, etc. These products come from 1,300 organic producers, i.e. 15 partner cooperatives spread throughout the national territory. The “Paysans d’ici” brand brings together organic pioneers, convinced of the ecological transition. Solidarity in their cooperative, they bring their farm and their land to life, maintain or reintroduce varieties and agro-ecological practices, create projects to process their harvests themselves and find a place in the value chain... With the support of committed fair trade, They invent the organic of tomorrow on a daily basis and chart the path to resilient agriculture that speaks to the taste buds.
A brand at the origin of a label
The story begins in 2011 when Ethiquable, nourished by its experience with cooperatives in the South since 2003, launches its approach for French producers. An approach driven and co-constructed with French producers and employees of SCOP Ethiquable, which led to the creation of the Paysans d’ici brand, first brand to offer organic products from a fair trade approach in France for mass distribution. A brand guaranteeing agro-ecological practices, a fair price for farmers, transparency and traceability of products. This experience laid the foundation for a label with an even broader reach : Fair trade organic in France. The ability of Paysans d'ici to generate a significant impact for producer groups has made it possible to inform the specifications of this label which guarantees "social agriculture, virtuous, coherent and meaningful”. The label was created in May 2020. It brings together 27 groups representing 4,000 producers throughout France, with consumers, processors and distributors, united to build a new model. This independent label integrates the criteria of French law allowing use of the Fair Trade label., while going further by promoting in particular fair trade and organic products from peasant and family farming.
ETHIABLE, VOTED FIRST POSITIVE BRAND BY THE FRENCH
The Positive Brands Observatory of the Utopies firm measures the positivity image of brands among consumers. The two editions of its study in 2015 and 2018 placed Ethiquable at the top of the ranking among 600 brands evaluated.
Committed fair trade actor, Ethiquable is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. The 
fourth organic grocery brand in France recorded the strongest growth of historic organic brands in 2020 (+ 21% in organic grocery stores). It is the first fair trade brand in supermarkets. And this without advertising. The SCOP claims “zero advertising”, convinced of the importance of explaining one’s approach without simplification and with pedagogy and modesty. The two studies by the Positive Brands Observatory confirm that consumers favor “doing really” rather than “saying a lot”. So, according to Kantar, Ethiquable convinced 392,000 new consumers in 2017.
To measure the perceived “positivity” of brands, the Positive Brands Observatory evaluates the positive commitments of brands according to three purposes : consumer well-being, the social connection, social cohesion and respect for the environment and nature. A representative panel of 12,577 French people was surveyed in 2018 and Ethiquable received a positivity score of 68,2%.“for us, ethiquable is not a brand but a project that we build with consumers, producer cooperatives and scop employees. at the heart of this project : fair trade in land and organic peasant agriculture” comments remi roux, co-founder of ethiquable with stephane comar who explains : “when we create a new product, we are not thinking of consumers who have a shopping cart or a wallet instead of their brain. everyone wants to consume better, and not just for yourself. we must move away from the caricatures of the organic and fair trade consumer. this is what this ranking demonstrates. »
THE THREE PILLARS OF THE PROJECT
Independence and democracy : the company structured as a SCOP belongs to its employees. Each strategic decision is voted on, democratically according to the principle one employee = one vote. Ethiquable is also certified as a Solidarity Company of Social Utility.
From farm to fork : feet in the field, SCOP claims producer-oriented product construction. Its agronomists identify on the ground the needs of peasant organizations which will provide new recipes. Authenticity and innovation : raw materials only from peasant agriculture, a priority for old varieties and traditional know-how, short ingredient lists, traceable, without synthetic flavors. The recipes are in line with the needs to control one's diet and the origin of the products. Innovation is also there, especially with the range
