Frédéric Faure is the Vice-President of Biocoop, the leading specialist organic retailer in France with over 740 stores accross the country.
Biocoop was founded in 1986. How has it become the leading distributor of organic products in France?
First of all, it hasn’t been as simple as that. We’ve been through many crises of growth, of market, of conscience. We’re almost 40 years old, and over these four decades, our model of militant retailer has established itself as the leader in specialised distribution in France, and has always been more convincing than the others.
Firstly, because of the uniqueness of our model, which is the only one of its kind in France, bringing together farmers, shops, employees and consumers in a single cooperative.
Secondly, because of its high standard offering and internal specifications that go beyond French and European organic specifications, and which take into account the social virtues of a food product (fairness, size of companies, etc.). The heterogeneity of its sales outlets in terms of their geographical location, size, etc.
And finally, through its customers, committed and ready to follow the Biocoop brand and recognise its commitment.
Cooperation has been an integral part of Biocoop from the very beginning.
I’ll try to focus on a few key facts: Firstly, employees of the cooperative, the shops and the farms can be Biocoop Employee Members. This means that they have a real say in the governance of the cooperative. We try to work with other cooperatives and build economic and affinity partnerships with this type of business. Our farmers are also members of cooperatives, which is compulsory.
We are also a company that functions like any other, with general management and operational support departments. On the other hand, we have to comply with the spirit of our cooperative and prove that our operations are carried out within a framework that suits our members. We define our offer, structure and logistics through various commissions and committees that bring together elected members and employees of the cooperative to guide the cooperative’s operational choices.
«I hope that we’re still showing the best possible way forward in a world that needs sustainability and robustness. Not just trade, but fairer trade»
What values drive Biocoop’s philosophy and activities?
Our charter answers your question so well that I’ll let it speak for itself: “The aim of our network of Biocoop shops is to develop organic farming in a spirit of fairness and cooperation”.
In partnership with producer groups, we create fair trade channels based on respect for demanding social and ecological criteria.
We’re committed to the transparency of our activities and the traceability of our supplies. As a member of professional bodies, we monitor the quality of organic farming. Our Biocoop shops are places where people can exchange ideas and raise awareness about responsible consumption. And I can tell you that we are genuinely putting this into practice, and it’s not easy every day! But our collective and complementary spirit is our strength.
What are the challenges and opportunities the organic market in France is facing?
In my opinion, the biggest challenge is to preserve our organic, fair trade and French quality sectors, in a market that has suffered a major setback at a time when everyone believed that organic farming was going to progress, driven by individuals who understood that it was the right way to produce, eat and take care of the planet. In fact, I think this is the case all over Europe.
The market is picking up again and in a few years, the supply side of the industry will be under pressure again, because production is shrinking with a great deal of inertia (you don’t set up a farm and convert to organic in the blink of an eye). Preserving our production and processing facilities is a big challenge. Finally, and this is more of a prayer than a prediction, I hope that we’re still showing the best possible way forward in a world that needs sustainability and robustness. Not just trade, but fairer trade. In figures, Biocoop is doing well, with positive growth of +8% to date* compared to last year. (*Interview conducted in November 2024).
What is the situation of the organic sector in Europe?
As I was saying, the European market has behaved in much the same way as that of our British, Belgian, Dutch, German and Italian neighbours. Very strong expansion (+20%) with a great deal of interest from supermarkets in a buoyant market. This has had an amplifying effect. Then an unprecedented downturn in the market following the management of the health crisis and the ensuing downturn in household consumption. We then went to -20%.
Fortunately, this did not last, and the market recovered, but it left deep scars on the organic landscape, especially upstream. Right now, we’re all back on track, with growth more or less the same, slightly higher than inflation, and volumes down slightly. The number of specialist distributors has fallen, and supermarkets have withdrawn. We have a market that’s picking up again, because people haven’t forgotten that we were proposing concrete solutions to the problems of the future, particularly climate change.
How do you think the European organic sector will evolve?
What I believe is that organic farming is a matter of course. And that after a new wave of mistrust on the part of the leaders, who are still very worried about the profound changes taking place in society, a new awareness will emerge. The public, whom you call consumers, have not given up on us as much as we might have feared. And those we had deeply convinced even supported us during this period. Since the way we look at food, health, agricultural production and our relationship with the Earth are all key to a desirable and happy future, I’m convinced that we have a bright future ahead of us. Days of change. Those of organic farming.
Author: Ariadna Coma, Journalist
Published in the BIOFACH 2025 Bio Eco Actual Special Edition.
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