Bruno Vila, president of the French company Rougeline, and his
brother Franck have embarked on a new project: the development of an organic farm. It seems to be a smart move. Bruno: "The season was very complicated for conventional tomatoes, but prices were good on the organic market. In France, the demand for organic products is still higher than the offer."
The objective of the project is the conversion of an existing farm. "Before, conventional tomatoes and strawberries were grown in the greenhouses. Two years ago, we decided to convert this farm to organic production. We are building a new greenhouse for the production of tomatoes and another to develop production of other crops, following the idea of the rotation of demand on the market."
For this project, Bruno and Franck use crowdfunding through the Miimosa platform. "Private investors can participate by financing through a loan. The necessary amount is €50,000. This isn’t much in relation to the size of the project, but it’s a good way to develop new modes of financing in agriculture. It’s no longer just banks that can help us with financing."
Ambassadors of agriculture
"It’s very positive to see a citizen membership. People agree to help finance the transition of agriculture. If they talk about this positively in their own communities, they become ambassadors for agriculture."
Obtaining the organic label
The project will take time. "When you convert an existing farm, it takes three years of conversion to get the organic label. Some greenhouses weren’t exploited. We could start organic farming on these plots immediately. The reconversion of the other greenhouses will take another two years."
Lowest prices in years
"For conventional tomatoes and especially for bunches, it was a complicated year: not only in France, but in Holland and Belgium as well, where the development of lighting greatly increased the level of production. The entire amount arrived on the market at the same time. We haven’t sold at such low prices for such a long time for years."
"As soon as a country is in trouble, it tries to sell its cheap tomatoes in another country. As a result, prices in this country are declining, and we are getting impossible prices. In addition to competition between countries and producer groups, supermarkets are driving down prices to try and keep up."
Instability in Europe
"The general situation in the European market is quite complicated today; we still have the Russian embargo, and an increase in production in countries where we exported to before, such as Poland and Hungary. Soon we will have Brexit. We don’t know how things will develop, but if the UK market closes, it will make things even more difficult."
For more information: 
SAS Rougeline
Sud-Ouest - Marmande (siège)
Chemin de Cazeaux, 47213 Marmande
+ 33 (0) 553 20 51 50
contact@rougeline.com
www.rougeline.com
www.miimosa.com