The partnerships at a glance
The Andros Amont Fruitier service works with about 100 partner farmers, mostly in France but also around the world.
For those who are curious: Planting sites that belong to Andros rather than farmers are the exception.
For those who are curious: Planting sites that belong to Andros rather than farmers are the exception. They are sometimes necessary in order to introduce change to a certain region, as a springboard for launching a new project. This happens, for example, in a developing country where pilot plots can dynamise a whole fruit-growing region.
Everyone wins
Once the duration and pricing are agreed upon, and the starting negotiations are completed, the collaboration can endure for 10, 15 or 20 years, during which there will be more and better yields. The idea is to improve quality, to progress in agricultural practices, and, together, to test new varieties. If the farmers benefit from having such high visibility from their turnover, and therefore precious financial stability, then the quality is assured.
The stability of the contract goes hand in hand with a relationship characterised by loyalty and trust. The connections between the Andros Amont Fruitier teams and the producers are often very strong, almost familial. It’s a relationship between equals, in which Andros participates with humility, and with the desire to understand the work of the farmers. What is shared is, of course, curiosity and enthusiasm.
Here are two examples, two lovely stories, about what is possible when Andros and producers work hand in hand.
Save the apricots! as told by the Andros Amont Fruitier team:
“The cooperative of apricot producers in the south of France was on the verge of bankruptcy due to drought. We proposed they start from scratch and plant apricot trees for Andros. They said yes, which was courageous on their part. We organised a special loan for them to cover the riskiest part of the investment: a prototype of a picking machine to reduce the labour of harvest. We implemented an orchard model that facilitated the cultivation of high-quality fruit at the best price. The farmers emerged from a complicated financial situation, and finished reimbursing our loan last year. It’s now been 10 years that we’ve been working with them and they are more motivated than ever.”
Raspberries for Corrèze, as told by the Andros Amont Fruitier team:
“I particularly love this story of repatriation of a certain variety of raspberry from Eastern Europe to France. It’s a particularly delicate fruit, very slow to harvest, and there aren’t many cultivated in France. We immediately thought of Corrèze, where the grain sector had taken a hit, as it had in many regions. It was about supporting them! Our goals were to help young farmers diversify and also to create a sector for French raspberries. We knew that the price wouldn’t be the same, but we wanted to set the expectation in terms of quality, both agricultural and human by aiding these young farmers.
We took care of the first hectare, the plants, the irrigation system, etc., and all the material needed for them to be able to plant. Then, the farmers went to work. And we had a very positive assessment after a year, which encouraged us to double the surface each year. It was a progressive bet, because raspberry plants take 3 years to give fruit; we could’ve waited for the harvest of the first trial hectare. But we took the risk together to replant each year, as long as the quality was there. The results are now in, we have a passionate farmer and raspberries that are 2 times better. “
Tune into the video above to hear again from Sébastien, raspberry producer in the Dordogne region.
As always, we extend gratitude and support to our hardworking producers around the world.
