Euralis and Bonduelle have been partners for many years in the production of sweet corn and green vegetables. The cooperative and group have now signed a partnership for the creation of a branch for dry vegetables. Euralis will now offer its member farmers the opportunity to produce lentils, dried beans and chickpeas for Bonduelle. This new branch responds to a growing interest from consumers in plant proteins and products cultivated and processed in France. It also offers a diversification of income for the farmers of the cooperative.
“We are delighted with this agreement which strengthens our historic connection with Bonduelle,” explains Christophe Congues, president of Euralis. “Our cooperative has been the only partner of the group for the production of green vegetables in southwestern France for many years already. We work hand in hand, with confidence and a common desire to serve the development and resilience of our farms.”
Cyrille Auguste, general director of Bonduelle Europe Long Life, claims to be “delighted with this innovative project which strengthens the historical ties between Bonduelle and Euralis. It is a further step forward in the transition to a more plant-based diet for the well-being of consumers and the planet.”
Signing of the partnership between Bonduelle and Euralis on July 25th in Pau. Left to right: Laurent Dubain (general director of the Euralis agricultural division), Cyrille Auguste (general director of Bonduelle Europe Long Life) and Christophe Congues (president of Euralis).
3 years of tests to make the project a reality
The tests conducted over the last three years on a dozen farms of the Euralis cooperative have shown promising results. They confirm the benefit of these productions for growers and consumers and they are also in line with the preservation of our planet. Indeed, regardless of the nature of the soil, the yields are satisfactory.
According to Thierry Cauhapé, head of specialized productions at Euralis: “The specifications are not very demanding in terms of irrigation or choice of plot, and only require a low use of inputs. The productivity and competitiveness of these productions still remain to be measured but this new market, at least in the cooperative area, is obviously promising since it responds to a strong societal trend.”
Euralis proposes to its farmers to produce dry vegetables, a choice guided by the dynamics of this rapidly developing market. After a total consumption in France of 110,000 tons in 2019, dry vegetables continue to confirm their progression. The sanitary crisis proved to be beneficial to them, with a strong growth in 2020 during lockdown and a trend that continued in 2021. It is in this context that Euralis and Bonduelle have signed the new partnership. It is still early to give predictions on production and tonnage, but the ambition for this first campaign is to plant 1,000 ha of dry vegetables for 2023 (mainly lentils and dried beans).
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