Agriviva
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Greening
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Food transition
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Work integration
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short supply shain
- Decent work and economic growth
- Industry, innovation and infrastructure
- Responsible consumption and production
Pitch
Presentation
Founded in 2015, Agriviva is a vegetable factory rooted in the city of Montpellier that offers local, ready-to-cook products for catering outside the home. Agriviva's mission is based on greening plates, promoting local market garden production and developing back-to-work jobs. The supply of fresh produce is based on close collaboration with nearly 40 carefully selected local producers (independent market gardeners, producer groups, cooperatives). From its 900 m2 back-to-work workshop, between 3.5 and 5 tonnes of produce are processed every day, then distributed to the main players in the Occitanie catering sector (public authorities, contract caterers, wholesalers, manufacturers). Agriviva is actively involved in the recycling of downgraded produce, sorting residues and out-of-sizes, thereby helping to reduce food waste while maximizing the use of harvested produce. The impact of the vegetable factory doesn't stop there. Agriviva is also part of a Group of Social and Solidarity Enterprises (GESS) to support people in their integration into the workforce. In 2022, Agriviva is taken over by Cuisinons nos Paysages, a subsidiary of FoodBiome, which has a project to federate a national network of local processing workshops. In 2023, the vegetable factory recorded sales of €1.5 million and processed 800 tons of raw vegetables. Agriviva is asking LITA.co's investors for €350k to finance a change of scale, which will involve consolidating its position in its traditional market of public catering, deseasonalizing its model and diversifying its business.
Take part in the creation of a national network of vegetable and canning factories, to bring greenery to our plates and promote local production!
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Team
1 site manager, 17 employees including 8 on integration schemes
Agriviva underwent a complete overhaul in 2023, recruiting a new, experienced and structured team, including Laure Vidal as Managing Director with ten years' experience in the food industry and entrepreneurship. Agriviva currently employs 17 people, including an operations manager and a purchasing and logistics manager. 8 employees are currently on full-time integration schemes, and benefit from vocational training within the company as well as socio-professional support from GESS. Agriviva also benefits from the expertise of Cuisinons nos Paysages, co-founded by Augustin Le Goaster and Clément Lefebvre. The founder of FoodBiome, Jean-Philippe Quérard, also President of the "Pour une Agriculture du Vivant" movement and an expert in agro-ecological transition, is devoting 30% of his time to developing this network of vegetable shops.
Challenges
Even today, the French food system is largely massified, centralized, standardized, ultra-processed and not very resilient to crises and climatic hazards. 60% of the fruit and 40% of the vegetables consumed in France are imported, 97.9% of a territory's agricultural production is exported, and 2% of food companies account for 85% of the sector's sales. Despite the development of vegetable and canning factories rooted in their region, the traditional agro-industrial giants are making it impossible to perpetuate these virtuous models supported by local workshops. Competitive pressures, variable production costs and complex negotiations with distributors mean that local producers are not paid enough. And yet, the greening of the food supply represents a real lever for action to reduce the agricultural sector's GHG emissions, 80% of which are generated by livestock farming on a European scale (80% of livestock farming in France is intensive). To overcome these obstacles and relocalize supplies of fruit, vegetables and pulses, we need to implement sustainable solutions aimed at strengthening the resilience of these key players in local agriculture.
Solutions
To unite local vegetable and canning factories into a network, pooling the tools and skills needed to ensure their long-term survival. This is the ambition of Cuisinons nos Paysages, supported by FoodBiome, which plans to create, take over or support a dozen vegetable and canning factories over the next four years. Agriviva is the first pilot site, offering a varied range of ultra-fresh, high-quality, seasonal produce (raw vegetables, cooking vegetables, fruit, mixes), 30% of which is organic. Agriviva is committed to working on a long-term basis with its regional producers, guaranteeing them numerous outlets throughout the year, by adapting to the seasonal rhythm of production. The new line of supermarket products is part of a wider mission to reconcile and connect local producers with consumers. The Agriviva vegetable factory is the fruit of a partnership between all the local players involved (producers, public and private central kitchens, distributors, manufacturers, etc.) to promote the development of local agriculture, maintain and develop jobs in the sector and produce quality food.
Economic model
Today, Agriviva's business model is based mainly on the public catering market. Agriviva supplies numerous public authorities, such as the Montpellier central kitchen (a market representing 15,000 meals/day), the Hérault department (25,000 meals/day) and school canteens throughout the region (10,000 meals/day). It also works with catering companies (Dupont restauration, Elior Group, Synergie etc.) and wholesalers (Occitane fruits, Garonne fruits, Réseau Provence Dauphiné). To diversify its outlets and deseasonalize its business model, Agriviva has developed a range for supermarkets (first listings with Carrefour and Auchan) and regional agri-food SMEs. This strategy enables the company to fill the gaps created by the school vacations and to smooth out its income throughout the year. As a result, sales doubled in July-August 2023 compared with the same period in 2022. To achieve this, the funds raised via LITA.co will be used in particular to expand and modernize the current production workshop, and to open a new cooking workshop for 5th range products (pre-cooked pulses and potatoes, coulis, purées). Successful fund-raising on Lita will enable Agriviva to disburse two additional financing packages: an investment grant from the Occitanie region for €273k and a subordinated loan from the Banque des Territoires for €350k.
Long term impact
Agriviva aims to provide solutions for a more plant-based and less processed diet, to enhance the value of farmers' sorting efforts, to help people find employment, and to strengthen the region's food resilience:
- A player in employment and professional integration in Occitanie through the socio-professional support program run by GESS, to which Agriviva belongs.
- Support local farmers by offering sustainable outlets and creating synergy between the farming community and committed citizens, to encourage positive change in the field of agriculture and food.
- Respecting product seasonality to guarantee freshness and quality, while supporting sustainable farming practices. With 30% of its production certified as Organic Farming, the company is committed to promoting environmentally-friendly methods and offering healthy products.
Transaction
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