Commitment 01
Defending our organisation’s values in order to successfully sustain our Breton vegetable network.
An organisation led by and for market gardeners
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1,700 market gardeners, owners of the Prince de Bretagne brand and decision-makers
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3 cooperatives
An atypical model in the agricultural sector
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Independent and family farms
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100% of our vegetables are grown on Brittany’s northern coast
Fair remuneration for market gardeners
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68% of volumes sold through the auction: Dutch auction system for fairer prices
What our market gardeners say
What I like about our organisation is that it is really run by and for the market gardeners who belong to it!
market gardener in Paimpol (22)
Discover our market gardenersCommitment 02
Offering quality products: fresh, good and healthy
A diversity of fruit and vegetables
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141 varieties of fruit and vegetables grown
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1 organic range comprising 60 vegetables and 1 range of Grown Without Pesticides vegetables
OUR OBJECTIVE: Innovating to adapt to the new expectations of consumers for more tasty fruit and vegetables, adapted to new uses and climate change.
From fork to plate
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Fruit and vegetables mostly harvested by hand and for the most part packed on the farm
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9 hours on average between harvest and availability to shippers (excluding produce which can be stored)
Quality guaranteed
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Shared quality specifications and traceability from plate to field with certified products
Two PDOs: Coco de Paimpol PDO and Roscoff onions PDO
What our market gardeners say
The agricultural practices of all the producers engaged in the continual improvement programme and the requirements of the Prince de Bretagne brand’s specifications mean we can lay claim to the quality of the vegetables we offer.
market gardener at Plougonvelin (29), Cerafel regional quality contact
Discover our market gardenersCommitment 03
Strengthening our agroecological approach
Research and experimentation: two strategic approaches
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2 research centres and 2 trial stations: research adapted to Brittany’s requirements
High environmental value certification: 100% of market gardeners certified by 2022
The environmental certification of farms recognises those which are engaged in particularly environmentally friendly approaches. High environmental value certification (HVE in French) is supported by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Alternatives to pesticides
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Different, complementary methods to limit pesticide use. These include crop rotation, varietal creation, cover crops, biocontrol, soil richness, biological control and physical control.
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A range of 5 vegetables grown without pesticides in 2019, 6 in 2020
OUR OBJECTIVE: Developing the share of vegetables grown without pesticides to 20% of our overall volume by 2030
Greenhouse crops have been optimised to reduce their environmental impact
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Increasing the use of practices to limit treatments as much as possible: 100% of protected crop producers use biological control. This practice reduces pesticide use by 90%.
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50% of greenhouses are equipped with rainwater collection systems
What our market gardeners say
High environmental value certification is a step in the right direction because it provides supporting evidence that our practices are responsible.
market gardener in Sibiril (29)
Discover our market gardenersCommitment 04
Contributing to the development of organic production
Commitment to organics for more than 20 years
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Pioneering producers
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Organic vegetables have been grown and monitored with the greatest respect for organic farming specifications for more than 20 years
Complete support for the conversion to organic production: 34 farms in conversion in 2019
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Human, financial, technical and commercial support
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Knowledge shared between producers
Strong development
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Increasing number of Prince de Bretagne organic market gardeners: currently there are 151
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France’s No.1 organic market gardening group with 48 varieties in 2019 and 60 in 2020
OUR OBJECTIVE: Developing the share of organic vegetables to 20% of our total volume by 2030
What our market gardeners say
I decided to go organic because I am passionate about the technical aspects of farming and agronomy: organic farming requires a lot of work to compensate for the prohibitions.
market gardener in organic conversion in St-Méloir-des-Ondes (35)
Discover our market gardenersCommitment 05
Contributing to the area’s energy transition and developing renewable energy
Cogeneration to limit the ecological impact of greenhouses
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+60% of surface area equipped for cogeneration
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The heat created is used to warm the greenhouses and electricity is sold to the network
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74% of our greenhouses are equipped with heat shields
Development of renewable energy sources: wood, solar, anaerobic digestion
What our market gardeners say
My goal has always been to reduce the environmental impact of my greenhouses.
market gardener in Plouha (22)
Discover our market gardenersCommitment 06
Limiting the impact of our packaging
Favouring sustainable packaging from France
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Our cardboard packaging is 100% FSC certified and our wood packaging is 100% PEFC certified
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Breakdown of packaging materials: 58% wood, 29% cardboard, 12% reusable plastic and less than 1% single-use plastic
Reducing packaging
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97% of vegetables sold loose in 2019
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Reducing the use of plastic
OUR OBJECTIVE: 100% eco-designed packaging - zero plastic within 5 years
What our market gardeners say
We are well aware that packaging has a significant environmental impact. It is why we favour recyclable or biodegradable materials.
market gardener in Pleumeur-Gautier (22), president of the cauliflower section at Maraîchers d'Armor
Discover our market gardenersCommitment 07
Fighting food waste
Limiting losses in the field
Limiting unsold vegetable through processing
Optimising vegetable storage
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Chilling certain vegetables
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Creating new varieties with better storage qualities
Giving a second life to unsold vegetables
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Different outlets possible: processing (canned food) / animal feed / charitable associations / soil fertilisation
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30% of unsold vegetables donated to charities
Supporting consumers
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Partnership with Frigo Magic, an anti-food waste recipe application
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Creation of anti-waste recipes and tips to avoid throwing away certain parts of our vegetables
What our market gardeners say
Food waste is an ethical, economic and ecological issue all rolled into one. We have a role to play in reducing food waste, and it’s a role that we are tackling head on.
market gardener in Saint-Père (35), president of Cerafel’s leek section
Discover our market gardenersCommitment 08
Strengthening the attractiveness of the farming profession
Collective strength to improve well-being at work
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A fair balance between independence (choice of crops) and solidarity
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Investment in the governance of the organisation: 120 young farmers have roles with responsibilities in the network
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Technical support and mutual aid
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Support for setting up farms: 18 new market gardeners in 2019
What our market gardeners say
As a farmer’s daughter, I wanted to take over my parents’ farm without having a real longing to set up on my own. Their approaching retirement was a trigger for me.
organic market gardener in Kerlouan (29)
Discover our market gardenersCommitment 09
Dialogue with our stakeholders
Improving our practices by talking with actors in civil society
Explaining our profession and practices to the general public
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Web series with Evan of Brittany
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91 open days in 2019 to encourage the public to visit our farms
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Participation in 48 local and national events including the Salon International de l'Agriculture in Paris in 2019 and 2020
What our market gardeners say
We opened the doors to our farms as part of the ‘Everyone to the farm’ programme and it was an incredible success.
organic market gardener in Trévou-Tréguignec (22)
Discover our market gardenersCommitment 10
Defending and contributing to the development of our region
Contributing to local employment
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A network that provides both direct and indirect jobs
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Around 27,000 jobs depend on the Prince de Bretagne network
Market gardeners as ambassadors for the region
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Voluntary participation of producers in local events: farm visits, agricultural shows etc.
Participating in the development of Brittany Ferries
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Prince de Bretagne producers are still the main shareholders
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An organisation managed by and for Prince de Bretagne’s market gardeners
What our market gardeners say
Our vegetable production creates many jobs and therefore contributes to local wealth. Our goal has always been to live in our countryside and contribute to the dynamism of our region, particularly rural areas.
market gardener in Pleubian (22), president of Maraîchers d'Armor’s innovation sector
Discover our market gardeners
Our commitments
