It will have taken a lot of agility and mobilization in 2020 to maintain and ensure the balance in a sanitary context that has generated unprecedented levels of uncertainty.
The year 2020, which marks 30 years for the brand Les Paysans de Rougeline, is a year of disruption. Demand, offer, social life, work organization, economy and purchasing power...the impact is global.
Nevertheless, the Group, which is made up of 230 family farms in the south of France, is still growing. The health context has limited imports and multiplied the revival of interest in vegetable productions (the global fruit and vegetable market has increased by 4.5% in volumes, and 13% in value).
Corporate project 2020-2025
Les Paysans de Rougeline have set 5 priorities for this new project:
1. Commit to French food sovereignty: healthy, responsible and local food...for all.
2. Accelerate agro-ecological transition around production models that are sustainable and profitable.
3. Build an ever more innovative solidarity organization
4. Innovate and adapt constantly to build and secure the future
5. Be a Responsible company for Responsible consumption, with CSR policy
Evolution of the expression of the brand in 2021
This will see a slight evolution of the logo, a new slogan with new visual and textual expressions...Les Paysans de Rougeline need to express what distinguishes them with even more precision.
The Group of Les Paysans de Rougeline is:
• 6 organizations of producers
• 230 families of producers
• 3,000 direct jobs on the territories
• 340 hectares of sheltered crops
• 90,000 tons of fruit and vegetables
• 157 million euros [191 million USD] in revenues in 2020 (+4.5% compared to 2019)
The sectors
(Predictions for 2021 production)
Tomato (78,500 tons) with a segmented offer:
• 52% of cluster and round tomatoes
• 48% of “diversification”: cherry tomatoes, cocktails, ribbed and elongated with color
Strawberry (3,700 tons) with an offer centered on “tasty” strawberries:
• Gariguette: 46% of volumes
• Mariguette: 13%
• Ciflorette: 9%
• Round: 31%
Also Charlotte and Mara des bois strawberries, raspberries and blueberries...
Cucumber (long, short and smooth, noa): 5,500 tons
Ratatouille: 1,600 tons, including 80% eggplants and 28% long and round zucchinis, as well as mini-peppers, mini-eggplants and pointed peppers.
Organic vegetable range and Kiwi: 2,000 tons
PGI Blayais asparagus: 150 tons
Production models
Les Paysans de Rougeline practices precision farming based on agro-ecology, to feed from and get technical inspiration from the success of each type of farming. Today, Les Paysans de Rougeline continue to develop all agricultural production models including:
• Production in ecoserre® greenhouses (120 hectares in 2020, +22% compared to 2019)
• Zero Pesticide Residue (10% of total production)
• Organic (2,000 tons)
• In the ground (2,000 tons)
French origin and local anchorage:
French food sovereignty
Contributing to restoring market conditions that can strengthen a sovereign food sector, awaiting a responsible consumption. For the companies, this means meeting the triple challenge of volume, price and quality. The challenge: to produce in France what the French can buy.
The aspiration of Les Paysans de Rougeline is to develop farming by winning back markets left to imports and to put an end to dumping, in partnership with supermarket chains.
Today, half of the fruit and vegetables consumed by the French are imported.
In France, the tomato represents an annual consumption market of 850,000 tons, while the French production amounts to 450,000 tons. Half of the tomatoes consumed are therefore imported.
120,000 tons of strawberries are bought in France each year, while the country only produces 50,000 tons. More than half the strawberries consumed in France are therefore imported.
It is time to materialize the support to the French production in the long term, in order to make it more competitive and more attractive among the new generations. To do this, here are some concrete proposals from Les Paysans de Rougeline:
• Launching a new reference of cherry tomatoes 200g in cardboard trays, French origin.
To offer a national alternative to the imported cherry tomatoes at 0.99€ [1.20 USD] on the shelves, during the production period in France (from March until October).
• The supermarkets have played the game
2,000 tons sold for this reference developed in commercial partnerships with Carrefour, Intermarché, Auchan, Leclerc, Lidl.
This action was extended to the Cléry strawberry grown in France.
The commitments of Les Paysans de Rougeline are very clear:
• To build an offer of fruit and vegetables in line with societal expectations, and to act with the purpose of reconciling agriculture and society by accepting the diversity of consumers with strong biases on the local, agro-ecology, taste and CSR, without forgetting the price.
• To set up a “better” French Agriculture in the distribution channels: brands, local origins, labels, organic approaches, ZPR, HEV, Red Label, PGI, freshness, zero plastic...
• To make fruit and vegetables accessible in all circuits (as best without forgetting the price and production costs to be present at the heart of the market).
Increased presence of their fruit and vegetables as well in supermarkets, Drive, catering and specialized circuits.
Local origins
Les Paysans de Rougeline calls for origin, local, territory...The origin of the harvests is indicated in black and white.
Les Paysans de Rougeline cultivate their fruit and vegetables in the south of France. It was therefore logical to refine the origin on the packaging (cardboard box, UVC…). The demand is very high from retailers who wish to promote local productions, and from consumers who are very attentive to the origin of their fruit and vegetables and want to consume locally.
Marmande tomato: towards PGI
2020 Report:
Launching of this collective brand carried by:
• the AIFLG (Interprofessional Association of Fruit and Vegetables in the Lot-et-Garonne)
• the New Aquitaine region
• the Val de Garonne agglomeration
• the Lot-et-Garonne department
In total, the “Marmande Tomato” sector includes:
• 90 producers of fresh and processed tomatoes (industry)
• 640 cultivated hectares
The approach concerns fresh and processed tomatoes with local companies.
The collective ambition is to achieve PGI recognition.
Commitment to agro-ecology
Zero Pesticide Residue
With 60 members (6,000 producers) three years after its launch in February 2018, the Zero Pesticide Label of the “Nouveaux Champs” Collective, initiated by Les Paysans de Rougeline, has become a benchmark of the “Third Way” approach.
30% of the consumers today are familiar with the “Zero Pesticide Residue” label. It is 13% more than in 2019 and according to Kantar, the strongest increase in notoriety in 2020 among all existing labels.
Since the launch, nearly 100 million UVCs with the “Zero Pesticide Residue” label have been marketed, with a 18% increase between 2019 and 2020. www.nouveaux-champs.fr for more information.
The Zero Pesticide Residue range of Les Paysans de Rougeline:
• Tomato: cluster, fleshy, cocktail, cherry (red round, elongated, mix), tasty cherry cluster “Les Pépites”
• Strawberry: Gariguette, Ciflorette, Mariguette, Cléry and round
• Long zucchini
• Long cucumber and short smooth cucumber
• PGI Blayais asparagus
In 2020, the products labeled “Zero Pesticide Residue” represented 10% of the production volumes of Les Paysans de Rougeline
A TV communication campaign is planned on French television TF1 in 2021 (two waves, in June and October 2021, 180 million contacts estimated).
High Environmental Value
Today, 60% of the tomatoes and 40% of the strawberries are labeled HEV.
The agro-ecological commitment of Les Paysans de Rougeline is grounded on a development approach based on HEV + Zero Pesticide Residue.
Organic range
• Development of parcels with the organic identification “Les Paysans de Rougeline Organic” to promote and facilitate the development of organic French production, always with a desire for transparency and information on the origin for the consumer.
Responsibility and solidarity:
Les Paysans de Rougeline are committed to more responsible packaging
Since 2020, the tomatoes in trays are no longer packaged in plastic (only cardboard or wood), and solutions are being tested to replace plastic wrappings.
Today: 99% of the trays are made of cardboard, and 1% are made of wood. Additionally, more than 95% of the cardboard boxes are manufactured in France and 100% of the wooden packaging comes from French and local production. In total, 88% of the packaging purchases are made in France.
• Strawberry 2021:
- “Zero Pesticide Residue” in cardboard trays
- Strawberry baskets 100% cardboard
For 2022: AGEC law decree: towards zero plastic from January 1st, 2022 for all packaging below 1.5kg.
Les Paysans de Rougeline are therefore strongly committed to searching for new solutions. Many tests are underway with retailers, especially for the 100% cardboard packaging, cardboard trays and compostable flowpacks...
Rougeline Employer
• After the jobs in greenhouses, the logistics...new job videos made in 2020 to be broadcast in 2021: quality jobs
• News about the Group on LinkedIn: https://fr.linkedin.com/company/rougeline
Always the best taste:
“Au Grand Goût” range
Strawberry:
Gariguette, Ciflorette, Mariguette, Charlotte, Mara des bois: 70% of the strawberry offer of Les Paysans de Rougeline
Tomato:
Tasty cluster, tasty cluster cherry, black round Kumato, black cocktail Yoom, pink round, ribbed and long with color: 20% of the tomato offer of Les Paysans de Rougeline
But also PGI Blayais asparagus, short smooth cucumber, pointed peppers, mini-eggplants….
Red Label Strawberry:
New variety registered: the Mariguette
Promotion of taste quality
• Creation of a collective around the Mariguette brand, to guarantee a common promise and a certain level of quality to the consumer.
• Manuel Peyrondet, a great sommelier passionate about taste (Best Sommelier France 2008, Best Ouvrier de France 2011), blindly tasting 7 tomatoes of Les Paysans de Rougeline and commenting live before revelation by the producer. Texture, flavor, agreement..he says it all. The videos will be broadcast on the social networks of Les Paysans de Rougeline from March 2021.
• Hervé Cuisine (French video maker, blogger and culinary author) will create new delicious recipes in 2021 with fruit and vegetables of Les Paysans de Rougeline.
• In 2021, Les Paysans de Rougeline will become an official partner of the French Barbecue Championship. As sponsor of the Fruit and Vegetables category, Les Paysans de Rougeline will have the pleasure of rewarding the creativity of the chefs. Following the regional qualifications, the final should take place at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in June 2021. This new partnership will be promoted in many stores, like for the Weber and Ducros brands, which have been partners since the beginning.
For more information:
www.rougeline.com
Press Contact
Sophie Thill
Head of the Marketing and Communication department
Cell: +33 (0)6 30 44 42 56
Phone: +33 (0)5 53 20 20 09
s.thill@rougeline.com