1) La Ruche qui Dit Oui is a network in France that connects local farmers directly with consumers. It is designed to help communities access local food while supporting farmers and regenerating social connections.
2) The network uses a website where farmers can post their products for consumers to order each week. A local leader organizes delivery of the products to collection points.
3) The model provides benefits for farmers, consumers, and local leaders. Farmers receive a fair price and more stable income. Consumers access high quality local food and build relationships with producers. Leaders earn income while strengthening their communities.
"Le processus design chez La Ruche Qui Dit Oui" par François ChayTheFamily
Par François Chay, Head of Design at La Ruche Qui Dit Oui (https://twitter.com/francoischay)
Entreprendre n’est pas inné et 80% des erreurs peuvent être évitées.
Ne perds pas de temps, offre-toi Koudetat : http://bit.ly/koudetat-youtube
Inscrivez-vous au prochain meetup! — http://www.meetup.com/Get-the-SWAG-on/
Inscrivez-vous à la newsletter pour ne pas rater les prochains évènements ! — http://www.thefamily.co/events/
Suggestions, idées de speakers, feedbacks always welcome ! — http://buff.ly/1r0ubkx
Impacts of collaborative consumption on traditional industries: scenarios for...David Chapuis
Collaborative consumption has a long history dating back to prehistoric times when hunter-
gatherer societies collaborated to share food and resources. With the agricultural revolution
and rise of cities, communities grew and greater social stratification emerged. The industrial
revolution concentrated power in the hands of private owners. However, the rise of the
information age enabled new forms of collaboration through technologies like Usenet. This
laid the foundation for the modern collaborative consumption movement by allowing sharing
of information and resources on a global scale through digital networks.
1) New models of consumption are developing that are more sustainable and ethical, moving away from wasteful linear consumption towards circular economies, recycling, and reducing waste.
2) People are increasingly concerned with health, family, and quality of life over materialism and consumption, questioning existing consumption models and loss of trust in institutions.
3) Grassroots initiatives are emerging that encourage local, sustainable consumption practices like community gardens, buying direct from producers, bulk stores, and reducing food waste.
The document discusses social innovation through four main dimensions:
1) The social economy and relationships between different sectors like the public, private, and household.
2) Catalysts and drivers of social innovation like innovators, collaboratives, and intermediaries.
3) The process of social innovation including design, development, scaling, and diffusion.
4) Transformative social innovations like social movements around health, education, and the environment.
The Reconstruct, Reincarnate, and Re-cool your T-Shirt with GATF event on June 24, 2010 taught participants how to upcycle old t-shirts into new garments like shirts, scarves and dresses. Ethical fashion designers spoke about their techniques for using postconsumer waste and fabrics. Participants learned sewing skills to repair clothes and reduce textile waste in landfills. The workshop addressed sustainability solutions while creating a fun, collaborative environment for consumers and industry professionals to learn from each other.
The document discusses cooperatives and their role in economic development and poverty reduction. It notes that cooperatives have survived economic crises due to principles of self-help, democracy, and local control. Cooperatives contribute significantly to sectors like agriculture, banking, and dairy worldwide. Challenges include balancing social missions with financial sustainability. Overall, the document emphasizes that cooperatives have great potential but are not a complete solution to reducing poverty on their own.
"Le processus design chez La Ruche Qui Dit Oui" par François ChayTheFamily
Par François Chay, Head of Design at La Ruche Qui Dit Oui (https://twitter.com/francoischay)
Entreprendre n’est pas inné et 80% des erreurs peuvent être évitées.
Ne perds pas de temps, offre-toi Koudetat : http://bit.ly/koudetat-youtube
Inscrivez-vous au prochain meetup! — http://www.meetup.com/Get-the-SWAG-on/
Inscrivez-vous à la newsletter pour ne pas rater les prochains évènements ! — http://www.thefamily.co/events/
Suggestions, idées de speakers, feedbacks always welcome ! — http://buff.ly/1r0ubkx
Impacts of collaborative consumption on traditional industries: scenarios for...David Chapuis
Collaborative consumption has a long history dating back to prehistoric times when hunter-
gatherer societies collaborated to share food and resources. With the agricultural revolution
and rise of cities, communities grew and greater social stratification emerged. The industrial
revolution concentrated power in the hands of private owners. However, the rise of the
information age enabled new forms of collaboration through technologies like Usenet. This
laid the foundation for the modern collaborative consumption movement by allowing sharing
of information and resources on a global scale through digital networks.
1) New models of consumption are developing that are more sustainable and ethical, moving away from wasteful linear consumption towards circular economies, recycling, and reducing waste.
2) People are increasingly concerned with health, family, and quality of life over materialism and consumption, questioning existing consumption models and loss of trust in institutions.
3) Grassroots initiatives are emerging that encourage local, sustainable consumption practices like community gardens, buying direct from producers, bulk stores, and reducing food waste.
The document discusses social innovation through four main dimensions:
1) The social economy and relationships between different sectors like the public, private, and household.
2) Catalysts and drivers of social innovation like innovators, collaboratives, and intermediaries.
3) The process of social innovation including design, development, scaling, and diffusion.
4) Transformative social innovations like social movements around health, education, and the environment.
The Reconstruct, Reincarnate, and Re-cool your T-Shirt with GATF event on June 24, 2010 taught participants how to upcycle old t-shirts into new garments like shirts, scarves and dresses. Ethical fashion designers spoke about their techniques for using postconsumer waste and fabrics. Participants learned sewing skills to repair clothes and reduce textile waste in landfills. The workshop addressed sustainability solutions while creating a fun, collaborative environment for consumers and industry professionals to learn from each other.
The document discusses cooperatives and their role in economic development and poverty reduction. It notes that cooperatives have survived economic crises due to principles of self-help, democracy, and local control. Cooperatives contribute significantly to sectors like agriculture, banking, and dairy worldwide. Challenges include balancing social missions with financial sustainability. Overall, the document emphasizes that cooperatives have great potential but are not a complete solution to reducing poverty on their own.
This document summarizes the origins and key concepts of cooperatives. It discusses important theorists and organizations in the development of the cooperative movement such as Robert Owen, the Rochdale Pioneers, and Friedrich Raiffeisen. It also outlines the key values of cooperatives including self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity that form the basis of the cooperative principles. Finally, it discusses concepts relevant to cooperatives including hybrid models, isomorphization, and false cooperatives.
signmesh snapshot - the best of sustainabilitysignmesh
Explore best practices around sustainability. Consumer expect brands to do more and stand for more. Check how sustainability is driving business, social and environmental innovation.
Social Business in developing countries - a new solution to eradicate poverty?Linda Kleemann
The document discusses social business models in developing countries that aim to eradicate poverty. It provides examples of social businesses like the Grameen Bank and Grameen-Danone joint venture that either generate profits for target groups or reinvest profits into social goals. The document also discusses challenges like lack of infrastructure but argues social businesses can have long term impact through continuity. It analyzes concepts like inclusive business, shared value, and corporate social responsibility that are related to social business.
The Agricultural Justice Project - Social Stewardship Standards in Organic & ...RAFI-USA
Updated April 2008. The Agricultural Justice Project - Social Stewardship Standards in Organic and Sustainable Agriculture. Full Standards Document. The Agricultural Justice Project (AJP) is a multi-organizational initiative formed for the purpose of developing, piloting, and promoting a market-based food label for social justice and economic equity.
The document summarizes information about i-propeller, a social business innovation organization. It lists i-propeller's board of directors and investors. It then describes i-propeller's mission to propel social business innovation through research, incubating social entrepreneurs, and innovation services. The innovation services use an open innovation methodology fueled by social entrepreneurs to help organizations innovate and address social trends. Case studies are provided on several social enterprises, including American Apparel, cooperative banks, Les Jardins de Cocagne, Ecover, Exki, and Fifteen.
How can retailers incorporate the concepts that underpin the sharing economy into their value chain when their model is based on the principle of acquiring goods? This slideshare enhances 4 types of collaborative models retail is experimenting with, through a selection of examples: co-creation, co-marketing, co-consuming and co-recycling.
American Apparel is a vertically integrated clothing manufacturer based in Los Angeles that employs over 10,000 people globally and operates over 285 retail stores. It started in 2003 with the goal of changing the fashion industry by rejecting sweatshops and prioritizing fair wages and working conditions. With its first store in China, American Apparel aims to make an even bigger impact through fair trade cotton production.
Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen created the first credit cooperative in the 19th century to provide equal access to banking in rural areas. The cooperative bank model spread widely and now includes over 4,200 banks with more than 160 million customers. They are rooted in local communities and the real economy.
The first Jardin
The document proposes a project to establish a mechanized compost harvesting operation from dumpsites and landfills to provide livelihood opportunities for scavenger communities. It involves purchasing land currently used as a dumpsite to set up compost sifting equipment and produce compost for seedling production. This would help meet the large target of 3 million seedlings for reforestation programs while creating jobs and income streams from compost sales. However, the main challenge is acquiring the land, as local funding agencies cannot support land purchases. Outside funding is needed to purchase the property.
MakeSense Africa: Food Security Impact report 2017Victoria Peter
Global hunger statistics give much reason to be concerned. However, a close look on developments on the ground, shows much reason to be optimistic. Here are 7 overarching trends from West-Africa, and dozens of grassroots innovations that gives us reasons to start re-writing our story about global hunger.
We can do so by rethinking traditional roles. Through a collaborative effort, roles, skills and spheres of influence of NGOs, Beneficiaries, Business, Consumers and Government can be redefined.
This document provides an introduction and overview of a participatory guide for designing business models that link smallholder farmers to markets. It was created by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture to help strengthen inclusive and sustainable trading relationships. The guide contains tools and exercises to map value chains, design business models using a business model canvas, assess business models against principles of inclusiveness, and test business models through a prototype cycle. The goal is to help smallholder farmers engage more effectively with markets and ensure their needs and voices are recognized in business relationships. The document emphasizes how agriculture can significantly reduce poverty by creating livelihoods and jobs for many in rural areas worldwide.
Les Legumes Moches, Case Study by The AzoresThe Azores
1. Intermarche, a French retailer, launched a campaign called "Les legumes moches" to promote "ugly" or misshapen produce and raise awareness about food waste.
2. The campaign was a success, with the entire stock of "ugly" produce selling out in two days and supermarket traffic increasing 24%.
3. The humorous campaign used witty storytelling and intense promotion to highlight the message that misshapen produce was just as tasty, helping address the issue of 40% of produce being discarded due to standards.
Food waste initiatives have become increasingly popular amongst major food retailers and foodservice operators in recent years. With the backing of celebrities such as Jamie Oliver, leading retailers and manufacturers signed a commitment to reduce food waste by 20% by 2025 in March 2016. him! explores the shopper attitudes around the topic.
Co-operative Enterprise & Sustainability: Why Go Co-op?NFCACoops
Why go co-op? How do co-ops strengthen our regional food system and economy? Co-ops are an effective model for business succession, retaining jobs, and rooting businesses in communities. Learn about the process of start-up, conversion and operation, and share your ideas for a co-op in your community.
Presenters: Adam Trott, Valley Alliance of Worker Co-operatives and Erbin Crowell, Neighboring Food Co-op Association.
This document discusses the future of the organic movement. It argues that Organic 3.0 will focus on participation and de-commodifying food rather than consumerism. Examples of participatory models include community-produced vineyards, CSAs where membership involves work, and urban gardening cooperatives. While Organic 1.0 focused on holism and Organic 2.0 on consumerism, Organic 3.0 will prioritize participation. The document also notes challenges like maintaining livelihoods and accountability in more participatory systems.
Axéréal's Corporate Social Responsibility strategy presents their commitment to sustainable development from customer to seed across their business units. Their CSR strategy formalizes their desire to make positive impacts through activities like improving economic, social, and environmental performance. It also allows Axéréal to differentiate itself, retain customer loyalty, and remain competitive in a changing global market.
Connecting business to sustainable livelihoods at the bottom of the pyramid i...MicroAid
The document discusses how connecting micro-producers and livelihood clusters to commercial organizations through "micro-connections" can unlock economic potential and create sustainable livelihoods. Micro-connections refer to both transactional and social relationships that link commercial buyers, livelihood clusters of small producers, and individual micro-producers. These connections allow producers to boost quality and volume to meet market demands, while buyers gain reliable supply chains. If the world's population were equally productive, global GDP could increase over four times. Facilitating micro-connections using technologies like mobile networks can help close this "prosperity gap" by boosting incomes at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
Whole World Water encourages spas, hotels, resorts and restaurants to filter, bottle and sell their own water and contribute 10% of the proceeds to the Whole World Water Fund, which benefits clean and safe water programs around the world.
Green Asylum is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide economic independence and job skills to Syrian refugees through urban agriculture and handicraft production. Refugees will be trained in farming, crafting, and business skills. They will grow food, make handicrafts from recycled materials, and operate a refugee market. The market will sell their produce and crafts, with profits funding refugee programs and business expansion. The organization aims to empower refugees while promoting sustainability and community engagement. It addresses issues of refugee hardship, environmentalism, and social impact.
The document presents four scenarios for how consumer behavior and expectations may change by the year 2020. It was created by Forum for the Future, Sainsbury's, and Unilever to help consumer goods companies prepare for future sustainability challenges and opportunities. The scenarios explore how pressures around resources, climate change, and population growth could shape consumption patterns and the retail sector over the next decade. The goal is to inspire innovation and sustainable business models by looking further ahead than typical market projections.
Technoblade The Legacy of a Minecraft Legend.Techno Merch
Technoblade, born Alex on June 1, 1999, was a legendary Minecraft YouTuber known for his sharp wit and exceptional PvP skills. Starting his channel in 2013, he gained nearly 11 million subscribers. His private battle with metastatic sarcoma ended in June 2022, but his enduring legacy continues to inspire millions.
Practical eLearning Makeovers for EveryoneBianca Woods
Welcome to Practical eLearning Makeovers for Everyone. In this presentation, we’ll take a look at a bunch of easy-to-use visual design tips and tricks. And we’ll do this by using them to spruce up some eLearning screens that are in dire need of a new look.
More Related Content
Similar to Connecting Communities with Food-La Ruche Qui Dit Oui
This document summarizes the origins and key concepts of cooperatives. It discusses important theorists and organizations in the development of the cooperative movement such as Robert Owen, the Rochdale Pioneers, and Friedrich Raiffeisen. It also outlines the key values of cooperatives including self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity that form the basis of the cooperative principles. Finally, it discusses concepts relevant to cooperatives including hybrid models, isomorphization, and false cooperatives.
signmesh snapshot - the best of sustainabilitysignmesh
Explore best practices around sustainability. Consumer expect brands to do more and stand for more. Check how sustainability is driving business, social and environmental innovation.
Social Business in developing countries - a new solution to eradicate poverty?Linda Kleemann
The document discusses social business models in developing countries that aim to eradicate poverty. It provides examples of social businesses like the Grameen Bank and Grameen-Danone joint venture that either generate profits for target groups or reinvest profits into social goals. The document also discusses challenges like lack of infrastructure but argues social businesses can have long term impact through continuity. It analyzes concepts like inclusive business, shared value, and corporate social responsibility that are related to social business.
The Agricultural Justice Project - Social Stewardship Standards in Organic & ...RAFI-USA
Updated April 2008. The Agricultural Justice Project - Social Stewardship Standards in Organic and Sustainable Agriculture. Full Standards Document. The Agricultural Justice Project (AJP) is a multi-organizational initiative formed for the purpose of developing, piloting, and promoting a market-based food label for social justice and economic equity.
The document summarizes information about i-propeller, a social business innovation organization. It lists i-propeller's board of directors and investors. It then describes i-propeller's mission to propel social business innovation through research, incubating social entrepreneurs, and innovation services. The innovation services use an open innovation methodology fueled by social entrepreneurs to help organizations innovate and address social trends. Case studies are provided on several social enterprises, including American Apparel, cooperative banks, Les Jardins de Cocagne, Ecover, Exki, and Fifteen.
How can retailers incorporate the concepts that underpin the sharing economy into their value chain when their model is based on the principle of acquiring goods? This slideshare enhances 4 types of collaborative models retail is experimenting with, through a selection of examples: co-creation, co-marketing, co-consuming and co-recycling.
American Apparel is a vertically integrated clothing manufacturer based in Los Angeles that employs over 10,000 people globally and operates over 285 retail stores. It started in 2003 with the goal of changing the fashion industry by rejecting sweatshops and prioritizing fair wages and working conditions. With its first store in China, American Apparel aims to make an even bigger impact through fair trade cotton production.
Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen created the first credit cooperative in the 19th century to provide equal access to banking in rural areas. The cooperative bank model spread widely and now includes over 4,200 banks with more than 160 million customers. They are rooted in local communities and the real economy.
The first Jardin
The document proposes a project to establish a mechanized compost harvesting operation from dumpsites and landfills to provide livelihood opportunities for scavenger communities. It involves purchasing land currently used as a dumpsite to set up compost sifting equipment and produce compost for seedling production. This would help meet the large target of 3 million seedlings for reforestation programs while creating jobs and income streams from compost sales. However, the main challenge is acquiring the land, as local funding agencies cannot support land purchases. Outside funding is needed to purchase the property.
MakeSense Africa: Food Security Impact report 2017Victoria Peter
Global hunger statistics give much reason to be concerned. However, a close look on developments on the ground, shows much reason to be optimistic. Here are 7 overarching trends from West-Africa, and dozens of grassroots innovations that gives us reasons to start re-writing our story about global hunger.
We can do so by rethinking traditional roles. Through a collaborative effort, roles, skills and spheres of influence of NGOs, Beneficiaries, Business, Consumers and Government can be redefined.
This document provides an introduction and overview of a participatory guide for designing business models that link smallholder farmers to markets. It was created by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture to help strengthen inclusive and sustainable trading relationships. The guide contains tools and exercises to map value chains, design business models using a business model canvas, assess business models against principles of inclusiveness, and test business models through a prototype cycle. The goal is to help smallholder farmers engage more effectively with markets and ensure their needs and voices are recognized in business relationships. The document emphasizes how agriculture can significantly reduce poverty by creating livelihoods and jobs for many in rural areas worldwide.
Les Legumes Moches, Case Study by The AzoresThe Azores
1. Intermarche, a French retailer, launched a campaign called "Les legumes moches" to promote "ugly" or misshapen produce and raise awareness about food waste.
2. The campaign was a success, with the entire stock of "ugly" produce selling out in two days and supermarket traffic increasing 24%.
3. The humorous campaign used witty storytelling and intense promotion to highlight the message that misshapen produce was just as tasty, helping address the issue of 40% of produce being discarded due to standards.
Food waste initiatives have become increasingly popular amongst major food retailers and foodservice operators in recent years. With the backing of celebrities such as Jamie Oliver, leading retailers and manufacturers signed a commitment to reduce food waste by 20% by 2025 in March 2016. him! explores the shopper attitudes around the topic.
Co-operative Enterprise & Sustainability: Why Go Co-op?NFCACoops
Why go co-op? How do co-ops strengthen our regional food system and economy? Co-ops are an effective model for business succession, retaining jobs, and rooting businesses in communities. Learn about the process of start-up, conversion and operation, and share your ideas for a co-op in your community.
Presenters: Adam Trott, Valley Alliance of Worker Co-operatives and Erbin Crowell, Neighboring Food Co-op Association.
This document discusses the future of the organic movement. It argues that Organic 3.0 will focus on participation and de-commodifying food rather than consumerism. Examples of participatory models include community-produced vineyards, CSAs where membership involves work, and urban gardening cooperatives. While Organic 1.0 focused on holism and Organic 2.0 on consumerism, Organic 3.0 will prioritize participation. The document also notes challenges like maintaining livelihoods and accountability in more participatory systems.
Axéréal's Corporate Social Responsibility strategy presents their commitment to sustainable development from customer to seed across their business units. Their CSR strategy formalizes their desire to make positive impacts through activities like improving economic, social, and environmental performance. It also allows Axéréal to differentiate itself, retain customer loyalty, and remain competitive in a changing global market.
Connecting business to sustainable livelihoods at the bottom of the pyramid i...MicroAid
The document discusses how connecting micro-producers and livelihood clusters to commercial organizations through "micro-connections" can unlock economic potential and create sustainable livelihoods. Micro-connections refer to both transactional and social relationships that link commercial buyers, livelihood clusters of small producers, and individual micro-producers. These connections allow producers to boost quality and volume to meet market demands, while buyers gain reliable supply chains. If the world's population were equally productive, global GDP could increase over four times. Facilitating micro-connections using technologies like mobile networks can help close this "prosperity gap" by boosting incomes at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
Whole World Water encourages spas, hotels, resorts and restaurants to filter, bottle and sell their own water and contribute 10% of the proceeds to the Whole World Water Fund, which benefits clean and safe water programs around the world.
Green Asylum is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide economic independence and job skills to Syrian refugees through urban agriculture and handicraft production. Refugees will be trained in farming, crafting, and business skills. They will grow food, make handicrafts from recycled materials, and operate a refugee market. The market will sell their produce and crafts, with profits funding refugee programs and business expansion. The organization aims to empower refugees while promoting sustainability and community engagement. It addresses issues of refugee hardship, environmentalism, and social impact.
The document presents four scenarios for how consumer behavior and expectations may change by the year 2020. It was created by Forum for the Future, Sainsbury's, and Unilever to help consumer goods companies prepare for future sustainability challenges and opportunities. The scenarios explore how pressures around resources, climate change, and population growth could shape consumption patterns and the retail sector over the next decade. The goal is to inspire innovation and sustainable business models by looking further ahead than typical market projections.
Similar to Connecting Communities with Food-La Ruche Qui Dit Oui (20)
Technoblade The Legacy of a Minecraft Legend.Techno Merch
Technoblade, born Alex on June 1, 1999, was a legendary Minecraft YouTuber known for his sharp wit and exceptional PvP skills. Starting his channel in 2013, he gained nearly 11 million subscribers. His private battle with metastatic sarcoma ended in June 2022, but his enduring legacy continues to inspire millions.
Practical eLearning Makeovers for EveryoneBianca Woods
Welcome to Practical eLearning Makeovers for Everyone. In this presentation, we’ll take a look at a bunch of easy-to-use visual design tips and tricks. And we’ll do this by using them to spruce up some eLearning screens that are in dire need of a new look.
International Upcycling Research Network advisory board meeting 4Kyungeun Sung
Slides used for the International Upcycling Research Network advisory board 4 (last one). The project is based at De Montfort University in Leicester, UK, and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Revolutionizing the Digital Landscape: Web Development Companies in Indiaamrsoftec1
Discover unparalleled creativity and technical prowess with India's leading web development companies. From custom solutions to e-commerce platforms, harness the expertise of skilled developers at competitive prices. Transform your digital presence, enhance the user experience, and propel your business to new heights with innovative solutions tailored to your needs, all from the heart of India's tech industry.
Maximize Your Content with Beautiful Assets : Content & Asset for Landing Page pmgdscunsri
Figma is a cloud-based design tool widely used by designers for prototyping, UI/UX design, and real-time collaboration. With features such as precision pen tools, grid system, and reusable components, Figma makes it easy for teams to work together on design projects. Its flexibility and accessibility make Figma a top choice in the digital age.
Decormart Studio is widely recognized as one of the best interior designers in Bangalore, known for their exceptional design expertise and ability to create stunning, functional spaces. With a strong focus on client preferences and timely project delivery, Decormart Studio has built a solid reputation for their innovative and personalized approach to interior design.
Connect Conference 2022: Passive House - Economic and Environmental Solution...TE Studio
Passive House: The Economic and Environmental Solution for Sustainable Real Estate. Lecture by Tim Eian of TE Studio Passive House Design in November 2022 in Minneapolis.
- The Built Environment
- Let's imagine the perfect building
- The Passive House standard
- Why Passive House targets
- Clean Energy Plans?!
- How does Passive House compare and fit in?
- The business case for Passive House real estate
- Tools to quantify the value of Passive House
- What can I do?
- Resources
Fonts play a crucial role in both User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) design. They affect readability, accessibility, aesthetics, and overall user perception.
Visual Style and Aesthetics: Basics of Visual Design
Visual Design for Enterprise Applications
Range of Visual Styles.
Mobile Interfaces:
Challenges and Opportunities of Mobile Design
Approach to Mobile Design
Patterns
Virtual Tour Application Powerpoint for museum of edinburgh
Connecting Communities with Food-La Ruche Qui Dit Oui
1. F e at u r e
Saying yes to a designed
network of farmers and
consumers is bringing
together French communities
and covering grocery bills for
network leaders.
30
Natalie Ortiz, Graduate,
MSC, International
Business and Design
Management, Salford,
UK
3. Design entrepreneurship
eration of designers is emerging that
is willing to create sustainable and social change. It’s possible to identify an
interest in designing systems and services (not just apps) that aim to address social and environmental issues
with a focus on the development of
solutions based in local communities
and contexts in which the designer
“empowers individual and other social
actors (service providers, institutions)
to generate social quality.”1
La Ruche qui Dit Oui (French
for “the hive that says yes”) is the
brainchild of a French industrial
designer and chef, Guilhem Chéron,
who had decided to dedicate more of
his time to observing food issues and
thinking of food-related sustainable
solutions that could support communities. It is a network of farmers and
customers that encourages easy access
to local food, thus empowering communities and stimulating their social
fabric. The service allows anyone in
France to start his or her own hive, or
ruche, with neighbors and friends—
and to create a sustainable business
by doing so.
La Ruche is designed around
a tool—a complex but easy-to-use
website on which each member has
an online account (Figures 1-3). The
1. N. Morelli, “Social Innovation and New Industrial
Contexts: Can Designers ‘Industrialize’ Socially
Responsible Solutions?” Design Issues, vol. 23, no. 4
(Autumn 2007), p. 9.
32
Figure 1. A typical ruche home page (in this case, a Paris ruche) before login. At top, there is an explanation about the products offered, a link to a video that explains how the ruche works, and photos
from other ruches that provide a general idea of the concept. There is also a brief introduction to the
ruche’s leader, the location and dates of distribution, and some photos. Interested users can access a
subscription form.
4. La Ruche qui D it O ui: R econnec ting Communities with Food
Figure 3. From this ordering page, users can filter their choices by producer,
product variety, or special selection made by the ruche leader. Users can also
choose “organic only” and specify categories like fruits and vegetables, dairy,
meats, bakery, beverages, seafood, home goods, delicatessen, beauty and
body care, and pets. Subscribers can see product photos and descriptions,
producer information and details, and members’ reviews. They then select a
quantity and add their choices to a shopping basket. Shoppers pay online
through PayPal or credit card.
Figure 2. This is the home page for users who are already subscribed to an
active ruche. At top, dates are specified for the next product distribution;
interested users can choose the week’s produce here. There is a news feed
where members can post messages, updates, news, and photos. Members
often submit recipes made with ruche products, which also appear here. The
notifications column gives updates on new farmers and members that are
joining the network, as well as links to various social media outlets.
33
5. Design entrepreneurship
producers (that is, farmers, cooks, and
other entrepreneurs) post their products online. Products include cheeses,
meats, breads, honey, fruits and
vegetables, homemade soups, natural
beauty products, and wine. The member consumers choose the products
they want for the week (there is no
mandatory fixed contract, so if you
don’t want to buy that week or are on
vacation, you needn’t), and they pay
online. The ruche leaders organize
and set the date and place of delivery
(Figure 4). Producer and consumer
meet each other while trading the
products. They may even improvise
lunch together afterward.
A ruche can include 100 to 1,300
families, 15-plus producers, and 120
or more products for sale (Figure 5).
Each ruche has a local leader in
charge of inviting new members to
join the ruche, and also of finding
local producers who are willing to
offer their harvest for sale (Figure 6
on next page). Leaders are responsible
for creating a group culture of sharing
and ethics; they assume a community
manager role while developing themselves as new entrepreneurs. They
teach the producers and the members
how to use the website and how to
post products, and they organize
the food delivery day. The service
is designed in a way that allows the
leaders to earn an income from it. The
business model of La Ruche qui Dit
Oui can be summarized thus: The
producer receives exactly the price he
asks for; 20 percent is added to this
price; and from that 20 percent, 10
percent goes to the leader of the community hive, 7 percent to the Ruche
headquarters, and 3 percent for paying taxes and bank fees.
Figure 4. Delivery day: A meeting between farmers and consumers in a Paris ruche. (Note: All images are
property of La Ruche Qui Dit Oui.)
Figure 5. A ruche typically includes around 15 farmer producers who serve a network of families with an offering of around 120 products ranging from fresh
produce and meats to homemade soups.
34
6. La Ruche qui D it O ui: R econnec ting Communities with Food
Guilhem Chéron officially
launched La Ruche qui Dit Oui
in early November 2011 with 177
participants and seven ruches spread
across the country. These seven
ruches and participants were part
of the design process and had been
planning and organizing themselves
since spring 2011. In December, one
month after they opened, the number
of official ruches had grown to 20,
with 35,738 participants.
This network of farmers and
customers weans people away from
the supermarket habit, regenerates
relationships with neighbors, and
supports local producers.
What do the bees value?
The accelerated growth of La Ruche
qui Dit Oui and its geographic
expansion highlights that it is able to
respond to a specific need and that
has been designed maintaining a very
Figure 6. Each ruche is organized around a local leader who solicits new members and encourages local
producers to offer their products for sale.
user-centered perspective. Some of
the key aspects valued by the members (leaders, producers, and consumers) are described as follows:
The leaders/entrepreneurs: I
interviewed leaders of various ruches
all over France and was told that La
Ruche offers an income of approximately 200-400 euros per month
($250-$500), depending on the
ruche’s performance and location.
Currently, the goal is to offer the leaders an income that is enough to cover
household food expenses. In fact,
ruche leaders see themselves as budding entrepreneurs. Some enjoy the
idea of creating a sense of community
in a society in which individualism
is rampant and where roughly 40
percent of the adult population lives
alone. This represents a real challenge,
but also a great opportunity. For others, motivation lies in watching the
ruche grow, and being able to grow
with it, knowing that participation
and effort is based on respect for the
environment, healthy habits, and
honest trade.
The consumers: People value
quality. They know and can taste the
difference in an apple produced five
kilometers away and one that came
from New Zealand and has been
refrigerated for weeks. They value
traceability. And although not all the
35
7. Design Entrepreneurship
products are officially certified organic, they can at least see the practice
as ecologically sound. Meeting the
farmers and (if they wish) visiting the
farm reassures them and creates value
for the whole community.
The producers: Conventional
food trade has reached a twisted and
unethical peak. Farmers commonly
receive only 5 to 15 percent of the
final price of what they produce.
La Ruche pays them more fairly
for their labor. At the same time, it
acknowledges their importance and
reintroduces meaning to their work.
On a more practical level, the service
offers them the possibility of delivering to several ruches in the same
area. Yves de Rochefort, a producer
of organic vegetables, says he delivers
his products to five different ruches,
three in his home area of the Loiret
and two in Paris, which is a journey
of about 40 kilometers (65 miles).
(In general, producers travel no more
than 30 km to deliver, but there is
not much food cultivated near Paris,
so it is an exception.) De Rochefort says his goal for 2012 is to be
able to sell “entirely and only within
La Ruche qui Dit Oui.” The ruche
network allows producers to deliver
to all their accounts in one Saturday,
because the ruches are close and
accessible. This facilitates transport
while saving energy, as well as facili-
36
tating a financially sustainable trade.
Not only that, but the improvement
in income makes it easier for farmers
to grow according to the guidelines
of organic agriculture, which is good
for everyone (Figure 7).
For everyone involved, the ruches
offer a sense of belonging to a larger
community, and the support the
ruche idea gives to this wider network
is a key driver making this service different from others, and represents a
transition to a more connected society
and a more sustainable lifestyle.
As of this writing, there are
around 100 ruches within the larger
network, with more than 300 in the
process of startup (that is, finding
NICOLAS THIRARD
Organic farmer and
dairy producer
“La Ruche allowed me
to go from a seasonal
contract to become a
full time employee”
€ 7924 of revenue
Oct. 2011—Jan. 2012
3 ruches in Paris
VINCENT LEPOTTIER
Organic farmer
“Selling in a market is the
equivalent of 44 hours
of work for an income
of € 2,400. The Ruche is
18 hours of work for an
income of € 1,800.”
€ 23,409 revenue
Oct. 2011—Jan. 2012
3 ruches in Paris
YVES DE ROCHEFORT
Organic farmer
Flour, bread, and pasta
“In 2012 my goal is to
pass everything to the
Ruche.”
€ 15,742 revenue
Oct. 2011—Jan. 2012
5 ruches, 2 in Paris and
3 in Loiret
Figure 7. Producers’ testimonials.
8. La ruche qui D it O ui: r econnec ting Communities with Food
local producers and consumers, places
to deliver, and meeting regulation
and sanitary norms). Ruche leaders
receive guidance and training from
the La Ruche qui Dit Oui management team. At the moment, there
are around 30 ruches opening each
month, and about eight application
requests are received each day (Figure
8). The La Ruche core management
team includes a designer, a web interface specialist, a project developer, and
a community manager.
Challenges
Of course, not everything is bees and
honey. The ruche idea does present
some difficulties.
On the producer’s side, the fact
of not having a definite, fixed contract
involves some insecurity and uncertainty, especially in the early stages of
the ruche. The producers must specify
the minimum amount of product to
be sold to justify making the delivery
trip; if that minimum cannot be fulfilled, the transaction simply can’t be
made. That uncertainty opens farmers
to the risk of a production surplus, of
food not sold and possibly going to
waste. The surplus problem is often
reduced with the passage of time,
as consumers begin to adjust their
routines to coincide with food that is
seasonal. Moreover, once customers
taste good tomatoes from a particular
MAY 3, 2012
8 opening requests/day
In Construction
383
Ruches Opening In May 2012
30
Ruches Oficially Opened
75
4 openings/week
Figure 8. The ruche idea is really taking off, with subscriptions growing by leaps and bounds.
farmer, for example, chances are they
will come back for more, and that
farmer will be able to manage his
harvest accordingly. Indeed, the likelihood of customers coming to know
the farmer personally tends to cement
the relationship.
From a shopper’s point of view,
it can be said that La Ruche appeals
especially to the type of people who
are sensitized to food and sustainability issues and would not have a
problem paying a higher price for
better quality. Ruche prices are not
overly high in comparison to some
French organic stores, and in some
ruches they are even lower than
found in the average supermarket.
This sensitive issue is omnipresent
and continually discussed within
the network. It is an issue that may
be solved with the passage of time:
In other words, as more people buy
into the ruche, as more communities
subscribe to the system, it becomes
more financially and environmentally
sustainable.
Convenience is another issue.
The website is very easy to use and
allows everyone to choose and pay
online, but the delivery holds to a specific schedule in each locality (ideally,
no more than a 5- to 10-minute walk
for customers). This requires ruche
members to commit to shopping at a
regular time each week.
37
9. Design entrepreneurship
the role of the designer as
an entrepreneur in social and
sustainable innovation
Many designers, especially young and
emerging designers, see their role as
reframing and finding a balance between what customers need and want
and what is best for society as a collective and common entity. They hope
to make their work more meaningful
and to contribute to making the world
a better place in which to live. At the
same time, design is increasingly recognized by business as a process that
aids in conceptualization and visualization of communications, products,
and business strategy, not to mention
services. This case study is part of
a larger research project focused on
understanding social and sustainable
innovation and the emerging role of
the designer in this area.
Designers hoping to create
sustainable innovation, like any
designers involved in innovation,
must learn to observe problems and
develop innovative solutions through
researching a subject, a service, a
group of people—by understanding what works for them and for the
environment. They do this by talking
to people and by being empathetic, by
living and getting involved with them
in order to understand the context
in which they operate. Sustainability
may mean having a vision of business
38
feasibility, but not necessarily focusing
on economic value as a final goal; the
goal may rather lie in the value a service can generate for its users and the
communities in which they live. Good
design management always means the
ability to manage teams of people and
to facilitate processes and tools that
can exploit and expand their creativity
and vision—to design efficient, fast,
appealing, and productive services
that are as simple and natural as possible for the people involved. Sustainability goes further in its need for
environmental consciousness and a
long-term perspective. But one of the
most important aspects for designers
involved in social innovation and entrepreneurship is the ability to look at
the bigger picture and strive to solve
problems where they originate—to
focus on solving problems rather than
consequences.
Guilhem and the La Ruche qui
Dit Oui team (Figure 9) are examples
of a new idea, a new type of designer,
and a new type of service that generates value for people without compromising the needs of the environment
in which they live. The ruche network
is an example of what Ezio Manzini
calls SLOC: small, local, open, and
connected. It’s the story of a designer
and a designed service in transition
toward something more human, more
fair, and more rich in values, meaning,
and coherence within the environment.
Suggested reading
Manzini, E. “Small, Local, Open, and
Connected: Design Research Topics in the Age of Networks and
Sustainability.” Journal of Design
Strategies, vol. 4, no. 1 (Spring
2010).
Ortiz, N. “A New Sustainable Designer: A Case Study of Collaborative Organizations and Creative
Communities.” Masters thesis,
University of Salford-Euromed
Management, 2011.
Thackara, John. In the Bubble: Designing in a Complex World (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2005). n
Reprint #12233ORT30
Figure 9. Guilhem Chéron (center, with strawberries) and the original La Ruche qui Dit Oui team.