GUILHEM CHÉRON
LA RUCHE QUI DIT OUI / THE BEEHIVE THAT SAYS YES
FRANCIA, ASHOKA FELLOW 2013
https://laruchequiditoui.fr/fr
https://www.ashoka.org/fellow/guilhem-chéron
PROBLEM
Small farmers are struggling to survive, though
they are the ones who rely on sustainable
agricultural practices. They cannot sustain the
prices offered by large retailers (who pay only
40% of the list price) and direct access to
consumers is not straightforward due to the
growing reliance on large supermarkets.
Moreover, these large retailers feed an ever more
industrialised agricultural sector that resorts to
monoculture, pesticides and weed-killing
chemicals in high quantities.
Every year, thousands of farming companies go
out of business. According tothe French farming
network Terre de Liens, the total number of
agricultural businesses in France has fallen by
20% in the past 50 years. Water quality, soil
quality and employment rates are all worsening
at the same time.
The loss of small businesses is accelerated
further as 85% of current farmers are close to
retirement age and younger farmers are not
encouraged to take over as they see no
satisfactory economic prospects.
SOLUTION
70% of European consumers state that they prefer local,
sustainable foods, according to the Natural Marketing Institute,
but say that they donot have access to a reliable supply system for
fair-priced products. Guilhem has managed to bring together the
critical mass of consumerswith La Ruche, giving them access to a
small-scale, environmentally-sustainable supply system for local
products.
All farmers who want to be a part of the network are checked and
interviewed to ensure that they employ sustainable, sanitary
farming practices. Each Ruche (Beehive), or local distribution
point, is run by a leader from the community. The leader recruits
local producers and consumers, and manages a dedicated online
marketplace foreach Beehive, hosted by an online platform.
The online platform isusedto collect and analyse data, to improve
the service andto betterunderstand modes of consumption. What
is more, it is a tool that farmers can use to communicate between
themselves in order to cooperate and collaborate. They can also
have a dialogue with consumers and raise awareness of themes
such as food,waste andenvironment.Finally, “La Ruche” offersIT
training to farmers, who are not traditionally a digitally-savvy
group.
IMPACT
La Ruche qui dit oui has existed since 2011 and brings together some
800,000 members, a number that is continually rising. The project’s
Beehives have sprung up all over France. There are more than 800
marketplaces bringing together 600,000 customers and 4,000
producers. After success in France, the model has been exported to
Belgium, Spain, Germany, the UK and lately to Italy as well. Interest
,
has come from the USA too.
Many local entrepreneurs have been supported in opening their own
Beehive. They manage the relationships between producers and
consumers but beyond making a positive contribution to the
community, entrepreneurs receive 8.35% of their Beehives takings
and many have earned between 100EU and 2000EU per month.
Consumers order products directly from the online catalogue and
collect them on a weekly or two-weekly basis from a pick-up point
close to their home or workplace. There they can meet producers
directly, and build relationships that guarantee trust and a sense of
community.
LA ROADMAP
GUILHEM CHÉRON
VISION
The project is gaining leverage through other
trends such as the growth of the online food
market,
the
growing
presence
of
knowledgeable consumers on social media
and youth participation. Guilhem has decided
to maximise the role of the internet and peerto-peer networks, and his approach is having
success in the big cities and rural France
alike.
Through the system of the Beehives andtheir
community leaders, Guilhem is creating the
conditions for these budding entrepreneurs
and local producers to lead the development
of a more efficient market for local,
sustainable and artisanal food production.
With the support of
ROADMAP GUILHEM CHÉRON
SCALING STRATEGY
La Ruche’s scaling strategy is rooted in the relationships of trust that develop between consumers and
producers. It is therefore fundamental to have the participation of small local entrepreneurs who are
themselves interested in creating their own Beehive, acting as guarantors to these relationships. They have the
incentive of earning commission on their producers’ takings. The first Beehive in a new area is crucially
important, as it paves the way to open new markets. La Ruche also offers constant support, control systems for
producers, an online platform to stimulate cooperation between members and monitor the market, and finally
IT support for farmers.
SHOWCASE
TROVARE PARTNER
SCALARE
MISURARE L'IMPATTO LOCALE
SCALING LA RUCHE IN SPAIN
After the success in France, Ashoka Spain has supported the launch of the project in Spain since September 2014.
Marc Raulin has coordinated the Colmenas (Beehives) and has adapted the model for the local market in Spain.
La Colmena que dice SI (The Beehive that says Yes) has opened 24 Beehives in Madrid, Barcelona, Andalusia
(Seville, Granada and Cordoba), Valencia, León and Bilbao. 199 farmers have chosen the model as a direct channel
for sales and 10,000 people in Spain have registered online to buy products.
SCALING LA RUCHE IN ITALY
The Beehive model has been exported to other European countries following success in France. At the moment,
there are already 30 Beehives (Alveari) which have opened or are in the process of opening in Italy, and the
organisation counts 2,000 members and over 100 producers. After a pilot project in Turin, the first Beehives are
being set up in Milan, Bergamo, Brescia, Trieste, Rome and Naples with the ultimate goal of expanding all overthe
peninsular.
L’Alveare che dice Sì! ( The Beehive that says Yes!) has come about because of EugenioSapora’s desire to invest in
a project that marries ethical,well-thought development to a business model. Eugenio, who got to know about the
project as a customer in Paris, has now engaged five full-time staff. Together, the team is setting about reaching
the objective of 100 Beehives in 2016.
Within This Works programme, Ashoka Italy supports the development of the Italian project by providing
communication support and by facilitating strategic contacts with consultancy firms (such as Hogan Lovells) in
order to meet the project’s needs. Furthermore, Ashoka is seeking out people who are keen to play an active role in
the development of the project in Italy by opening their own Beehive
If you are interested in playing an active role in the change initiated by Guilhem, and if you want to open your own
Beehive in one of these countries, or to become a partner, then please write to Ashoka Spain
comunicacion@ashoka.org or Ashoka Italy italy@ashoka.org.
This roadmap was translated from Italian toEnglish by Edward Shelley, volunteer translatorfor Ashoka.
With the support of