The AMAP boom: social support potential to be explored
Les Lilas, France (93260)
With more than 300 bodies involved in this (relatively) new means of consumption, the AMAP principle is fertile ground for social support initiatives.
AMAP: Association for the Preservation of Peasant Agriculture is a means of getting round the conventional economy and managing without the constraints of mass marketing.
It involves a partnership between a group of consumers (now known as "consumactors") and a farmer, according to a charter that defines it as follows:
"An AMAP is an association for the preservation of peasant agriculture, the objective of which is the preservation and maintenance of local farms as an aspect of sustainable agriculture, in other words peasant, socially equitable and ecologically sound agriculture, in order to enable consumers to buy the quality foodstuffs of their choice at a fair price, knowing their source and how they have been produced, and to participate actively in safeguarding and developing local farming, respecting sustainable development.
It brings together a group of consumers and a local farmer through a contact under which at the beginning of the season each consumer buys a share of the production, which is delivered to him or her periodically at a constant cost. The producer undertakes to deliver the products respecting the peasant agriculture charter (...)".
Thus defined, the CSA is a form of social support economy full of good qualities! It preserves both a job that it under threat and rural areas in outlying suburbs, protects the environment ("clean" agriculture and ecological practices), offers healthy and varied food (return to forgotten vegetables) at a price considered fair, creates social links, etc. This mode of consumption is therefore fertile ground for other social support initiatives.
The association Just Food has been working on the ground in New York since 1994 to make as many people as possible aware of the importance of "eating well": town farms (educational work for the development of urban kitchen gardens), events that bring together great chefs and members of neighbourhood community supported agriculture groups (community supported agriculture groups ? CSAs ? are the American equivalent of AMAPS). For Just Food, one such group, it is the fair price for fresh food and the social links that are of prime importance, and they even vary the basket price according to family income.
In Strasbourg the AMAPs participate in the Multiparty Social Contract (a new approach that takes into account various aspects of exclusion by involving specialised organisations as well as beneficiaries). Here, members who wish to do so can pay a little more for their baskets in order to contribute to a fund that enables people burdened with debt to be included.
Elsewhere, in the Paris region, others donate surplus production to bodies such as Secours Catholique (Catholic Relief).
Community social support ? One positive initiative began in Lilas (93) where an AMAP recently undertook social solidarity measures to help low-income families.
This is La Courgette Solidaire, formed in September 2005 on the initiative of Pierre Stoeber, whose commitment grew over time: "I was never very committed and then, at 40, as I'd been voting Green for while, I felt that it was time".
Primarily motivated by social and ecological considerations, Pierre began by establishing a warehouse in Lilas for Potagers de Marcoussis (part of the Jardins de Cocagne network, an integration association delivering baskets of organic vegetables to urban warehouses) but, as he wanted to respond to growing demand (the Potagers de Marcoussis provided a maximum of ten baskets per week), he turned to the AMAP formula.
The first concern of La Courgette Solidaire is to keep the basket price affordable, "especially so that it doesn't become a trendy urbanite thing," says Pierre. So the price was set at €12 and annual membership of the association at €10.
The situation of their producer, Daniel Evain, made this possible: with a cereal farm of 120 ha that went organic in 2002 and a market garden (inherited from his mother), he already had fixed selling prices.
The quantity of vegetables in each basket would therefore depend on prices per kilo (with a 20% reduction): the content is seasonal.
It should be noted that the way the basket price is set differs from the AMAP system, which is to calculate the producer's expenses and income and divide the total by the number of baskets.
The "consomactors" thus take the risk of a bad harvest or, conversely, benefit from a good harvest.
Thirty families at first, 60 in the second season: the Courgette Solidaire is entering its third season with 90 baskets. Pierre Stoeber was soon able to put his social solidarity ideas into practice with the aid of Pascale Solignac (a fellow AMAP member).
New concept of social support ? Always interested in extending this mode of consumption, Pierre Stoeber invented social support baskets.
After numerous applications to municipal authorities, social services and other bodies and even taking part in the CréaRIF competition (aiming to promote and support the creation and development of innovative activities in the social support economy field), they eventually obtained €150 for 2006 and then €500 for the 2007 season (from Lilas town council): the system began at last.
The number of support baskets is determined by the subsidy obtained; in this case there will be two next season.
"Candidates" are selected according to a number of criteria: the families eligible generally receive conventional social assistance (and are therefore low-income): they join the AMAP and receive their basket at half price, €6, the difference coming out of the subsidy (in this way the basic principle that the producer should be paid a fair price is maintained).
"Eating well" is no longer elitist, the social link keeps its full meaning.
In order to overcome possible problems (long-term financial commitment or no cheque book), there is follow-up and support from social services.
In addition, the SOL gives the CSA a new form of subsidy.
The SOL ? a currency designed to highlight the social support economy and make it work as a network.
How does it work?
The Chèque Déjeuner (luncheon voucher) group (whose director Pierre Stoeber met), in partnership with Crédit Coopératif, issues a card with a SOL chip that enables points to be acquired.
The Sol is a melting currency: the card is valid until the end of the current year, while the points keep their value for three months.
What is it for?
It has three forms:
Cooperation SOL
A card is distributed by the companies and bodies that adhere to the SOL charter when a purchase is made; when credited with "Cooperation SOL", it enables sols to be accumulated and spent throughout the network. It is also possible to give sols for social support projects.
Involvement SOL
Highlights social support behaviours and facilitates exchanges of time and services.
Work may be remunerated by putting "Involvement SOL" on the card. The sols credited give access to activities in exchange for time.
Allocated SOL
This is a social action instrument issued by local authorities, company committees and the Central Social Activities Fund for the benefit of target populations.
The authorities in Lille realised that the "poor" ate "badly" and therefore organised a service delivering organic baskets with the SOL card.
Thanks to this programme, a further €2000 will allocated to the Courgette Solidaire (probably in the form of allocated sols) which will fund seven social support baskets from September 2007. Another probable benefit: the Courgette's little sister, the Tomate Solidaire, a new AMAP being established under the umbrella of the same association.
Chèques Services and AMAP: a promising partnership ? Clearly, then, the AMAP concept is spreading to the lowest social classes and this trend is likely to gain momentum. AMAP IDF has just been accredited as a partner of Chèques Services, emergency food aid given by four bodies (including the luncheon voucher foundation) to people in difficulty. For the town of Lilas alone (population 23,000), such aid amounted to €48,000 in 2006. Distributed in the form of a cheque book (ten €8 cheques), it may be given to the same family a maximum of three times a year. So far only large supermarkets are accredited to receive the cheques ? "to cap it all!", says Pierre Stoeber, who is himself going to apply to AMAP IDF in order to offer baskets to people receiving such assistance.
It is an enormous turnaround: people on low incomes are no longer forced only to have industrial food. Pierre is also continuing the partnership with social services, who have undertaken to inform people on benefit of the existence of the AMAPs and the possibility of eating good vegetables from the countryside.
The remaining €4 will be paid by the AMAP through the 2006 municipal subsidy (€150) and the joint fund made up of the annual subscriptions. In this way three intermittent social support baskets will be available each week.
It is a great step forward: in the Ile-de-France the system is now applicable by all AMAPs.
Sustainable development and commitment: the basis of AMAP thinking ? Keeping market gardening (and other agricultural activities) alive, keeping "natural" areas on the planet, keeping people healthy through clean food, forging sustainable links between people, this is the challenge that the AMAP system has set itself and is on the way to meeting.
AMAP and social support action are complementary in many ways. Some initiatives are already bearing fruit, while others are just getting under way.
We should not forget, however, that the very essence of the AMAP system remains a commitment over time: do the precarious and intermittent characteristics of social assistance in general lend themselves to this concept? The action of the Courgette Solidaire already answers that question and it has fulfilled its "popularisation" mission, as Pierre Stoeber says: including these people "also has an educational aim: rediscovering vegetable cultivation".
- : Pierre Stoeber
- : +33 (0)1 48 97
- :
Website :
www.lacourgettesolidaire.asso.fr
