Crowdfunding for sustainable agri-food: Carrefour joins Danone backing MiiMOSA Transition
Through the platform, companies hope to provide financial support for the transition to more sustainable agricultural systems. The initiative follows on from Carrefour’s commitment, made alongside the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), to help producers switch to organic farming methods.
Promoting sustainable production
Following an initial crowdfunding pilot project for producers in Perpignan and Toulouse, Carrefour is breaking new ground with MiiMOSA, France's leading crowdfunding platform for agricultural and food projects.
The company said it is joining forces with Danone, Herta, D’Aucy and Les Paysans de Rougeline to launch MiiMOSA Transition. All the parties involved in this partnership have agreed to provide financial support to help producers launch agricultural projects based on “virtuous crop-growing practices”, such as agroecology and organic farming methods.
This original funding solution brings together major players from the agri-foods sector in order to help and encourage producers to upgrade their farming, livestock-rearing and production methods.
‘Help with conversions’
By joining the MiiMOSA Transition project, Carrefour said it will bolster the support that it provides its suppliers who are working to adopt more sustainable practices. The company has stated that it wants to be a “world leader” in the promotion of sustainable food production, which it calls the “agricultural transition”.
Similar to Carrefour’s promotion of organics in cooperation with WWF, the supermarket operator said this major new partnership is “opening the doors” to crowdfunding for the agricultural transition.
“Our commitment with MiiMOSA is a milestone for Carrefour as part of its drive to support the agricultural transition. It's something that our producer partners have wanted, as well as all consumers,” said Laurent Vallée, Carrefour's General Secretary.
A ‘paradigm shift’ in agricultural funding
The involvement of large corporations such as Carrefour and Danone signals a “paradigm shift” in funding models for agri-food businesses, MiiMOSA founder Florian Breton suggested.
“Our collaboration with Carrefour is evidence of the paradigm shift that we are seeing in funding for agriculture and food. By joining forces with MiiMOSA Transition, Carrefour has decided to provide its suppliers with an innovative, nationwide and inclusive funding solution that involves everybody.”
Carrefour’s role is crucial to the successful introduction of this new model, Breton continued.
“Its role will be of key importance in coordinating and co-funding its producers, supporting them as they make the switch to practices that are more virtuous for both consumers and the planet.”
Seasonal commitment
In a separate announcement, Carrefour said it will only carry seasonal produce in its Bio stores. The company will roll the initiative out in a three month test as part of its Act for Food initiative.
“Our ambition to become the world leader in the food transition requires courageous decision-making in favour of environmentally friendly production that guarantees quality products," Benoit Soury, director of the organic market at Carrefour, said.
