Since the very beginning, Ekibio has been working with producers in France and abroad as part of organic fair-trade farming partnerships, thereby providing a guarantee of a long-term partnership for farmers.
Our fair-trade partnerships
Find out about our committed, fair-trade partnerships. Click on one of the areas to find out more!
Centre Loire
Sweetcorn partnership:
A partnership has been created between a group of producers on the west coast of France (BIOPARTENAIRE® label)
Brittany/ Vendée / Pays de la Loire
Organic vegetables of French origin:
Our sector devoted to vegetables in France is built upon a partnership with French producers of green beans and peas, BIOPARTENAIRE® label.
Rhône-Alpes
Soft wheat partnership: 100% French, with the BIOPARTENAIRE® label. Used by our brands Priméal and Bisson.
In this geographical area, we are also involved in:
- a French organic durum wheat partnership, devoted to making pasta and couscous for Priméal in Ardèche.
- a legumes partnership with producer cooperatives in the French regions of Rhône-Alpes, Occitanie and the west coast of France.
- a French organic buckwheat partnership with a cooperative of producers and independent farmers.
Atlantique Coast
Legumes sector: Anicia variety (green lentils), dési and twist (chickpeas). Partnership with producer cooperatives in the French regions of Rhône-Alpes, Occitanie and the west coast of France. Mixing and packaging in our workshops.
We are also developing a hemp partnership in France with farmers from the west coast. This atypical and complex crop requires specific expertise from sowing the seeds to harvesting the crop.
Ardèche
Chestnut partnership: since the company was created, Ekibio has been present in Ardèche and since the very beginning, has provided support for the development of a partnership in the Chestnut sector, a symbolic production of the Causses, limestone plateaus that are characteristic of our region.
Haute-Provence
Haute-Provence spelt: a historic partnership
Haute-Provence spelt, or einkorn wheat, is a rustic plant, symbolic of Mediterranean civilisation and is grown on poor lands in mountainous areas, often rotated with lavender and legumes.
Our partnership for this sector boasts the ‘PGI’ for ‘Haute-Provence spelt’ and has been awarded the BIOPARTENAIRE® label.
Mediterranean coast
French organic durum wheat partnership: for 100% French manufactured pasta
Almost 1,500 hectares of land are cultivated along the Mediterranean coast and south Rhône-Alpes.
Creation of an association in 2012 that brings together the various players in the French durum wheat semolina sector: farmers, harvesting organisations, semolina manufacturers and pasta producers.
Occitanie
French organic buckwheat partnership involving producers, harvesting organisations and millers.
Legumes partnership with several producer cooperatives in the French regions of Rhône-Alpes, Occitanie and the west coast.
Golden brown flax partnership: flax is an oilseed crop that is perfectly suited to organic farming. It is usually cultivated after legumes which leave behind natural sources of nitrogen, needed for its growth.
Camargue
Camargue rice partnership: safeguard a tradition and a ‘terroir’
Harvesting, sorting, cleaning, storing and packaging, are all carried out in the production zone. This partnership boasts the ‘PGI’ for ‘Camargue rice’.
French organic durum wheat partnership: 60 farmers across the Mediterranean coast.
The spirit of the organic fair-trade partnerships
Ekibio is developing organic fair-trade partnerships and supply chains in France and all over the world, thus providing long-term guarantees for farmers.
Today, three of our food brands are working on developing these partnerships: Priméal, Bisson and Le Pain des Fleurs. The “Ekibio farm” covers around 2,750 hectares. In 2021, 100 product references from our catalogue will be from our farming partnerships.
A strong farming partnership is above-all about real and sustainable human connections. Its strength? They are made up of interconnected links, and these links bring together complementary skills and knowledge. Our goal is to build partnerships and therefore contribute to harmonious long-term development. “At Ekibio, we are not farmers but we know how to work alongside, we can transform, promote... and also listen” (Bernard Martin, Head of Strong Farming Partnerships).
Ekibio is also investing even more in some local and regional partnerships, through joint investments with producers in farming machinery or even infrastructure. This is the case in Haute-Provence with the company ‘Bio en grains ’, and also in Bolivia with the company ‘Jatariy’, or more recently with sweetcorn producers in the Loir-et-Cher region.
“At Ekibio, we managed to identify from the very beginning the farming partnerships that have driven Ekibio’s development over the past 30 years. These strong farming partnerships are developed with our Innovation & Development and Marketing departments, to create products that satisfy our consumers’ needs.” (B.M.).
We work in a responsible and sustainable way with the farmers, some of whom are part of an organisation of organic producers, and some of whom are independent, but they are all committed together as one.
Our key figures
15
This is the number of strong farming partnerships set up by Ekibio, in France and throughout the world.
5%
The percentage of net income that Ekibio dedicates to developing these farming partnerships.
40%
Ekibio’s objective for 2023 is to offer 40% of the food products from farming partnerships the company is directly involved in.
FAIR-TRADE, LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS
The ‘local’ aspect is one of the pillars of Ekibio’s business model. In searching for the best supply chains for raw materials and in developing more and more solidarity-based initiatives, Ekibio is creating fair-trade and sustainable partnerships and therefore contributing to safeguarding traditional farming practices in France, such as Haute-Provence spelt. On a local level, Ekibio provides support for producers in developing their activity and therefore does its part in revitalising the local economy. With that in mind, Ekibio participates in a cooperative development programme, to compensate for the desertification of some regions, declining trades, etc.
INTERNATIONAL FAIR-TRADE PARTNERSHIPS
As well as the French partnerships, Ekibio is also developing import partnerships: Royal quinoa from Bolivia, sugar from Paraguay, organic rice from all over the world.
In Bolivia, Ekibio created the company Jatariy in the late 90s. In providing support for producers in building their activity, training, organic protection techniques, looking after cultivated land, Ekibio has created 40 jobs on the Bolivian production site, thereby participating in the local development of a poor region. In 2020, Ekibio released the majority of its capital to the producers, thereby involving them in the company, which is one of the founding principles of fair-trade practices.
BIOPARTENAIRE : A PIONEERING, ASSOCIATIVE AND GLOBAL LABEL
For the past 20 years, Ekibio has been a member of the ‘BIOPARTENAIRE®’ label which is concerned with fair-trade requirements and is dedicated to the network of specialised organic stores. This label guarantees fair-trade, organic farming and independent auditing. In 2021, 61 product references from Ekibio’s catalogue will be classified under the ‘BIOPARTENAIRE®’ label. Ekibio’s goal is to get this label for all its farming partnerships.
Discover our CSR policy
Since day one, Ekibio has been committed to a responsible and sustainable approach in the way the company operates. From optimised management of energy consumption, to making people a priority in the performance of the company, the organisation of Ekibio’s activities is guided by strong values and ongoing improvement.
15
5%
40%
