Selling Your Products in a CSA
From Triple Performance
An AMAP is an Association for the Maintenance of Peasant Agriculture. The goal of this type of association is to connect farmers and consumers. This type of organization has various objectives:
- Preserve local agriculture that is socially equitable and ecologically sound,
- Establish fair trade between farmers and consumers,
- Encourage consumers to favor local quality food,
- Make consumers responsible through citizen and solidarity engagement.
Motivations to create an AMAP
Among consumers
The two main reasons why consumers participate in the AMAP project are:
- Health and well-being: consuming fresh, seasonal, organic, diversified products.
- Direct support of local farmers and development of urban-rural links.
Among producers
Producers invest in an AMAP for two main reasons:
- Financial security provided by consumers purchasing products in advance,
- Social valorisation: working for a group of people the farmer knows, and with whom he can regularly interact beyond the commercial aspect.
Creating an AMAP
An AMAP is created following a meeting between a group of consumers and farmers (or artisan processors) ready to engage in the approach. They establish a contract for a predefined duration, according to the following terms:
- Together, they define the diversity and quantity of goods to be produced for the season. These goods can be fruits, vegetables, eggs, cheese, meat... Diversity is very important as it allows the partners involved in the AMAP to consume a variety of foods, extend the season duration, and limit risks due to climatic hazards and potential health issues.
- During the season, and periodically (e.g., once a week), farmers make the products available to the partners, constituting their basket. The contents depend on the products that have reached maturity.
- The group of consumers and farmers also agree on the agronomic methods to be used. These are inspired by the charter of peasant agriculture and the specifications of organic farming.
- The basket price is set fairly: it allows farmers to cover production costs and earn a decent income, while remaining affordable for consumers. To enable everyone's participation in the AMAP, especially low-income consumers, various payment options exist, such as monthly check payments or basket price reductions in exchange for help with distribution. By purchasing their share of production in advance, consumers guarantee income for farmers.
- Distribution can be done directly at the farm if AMAP partners live nearby, or at a drop-off point located in the city (community centers, specialty food stores, courtyard, community hall...).
- The schedule is set to suit the greatest number of people.
- To allow farmers to focus on the quality of their work, a volunteer committee is formed among the consumer partners of the AMAP. It generally includes a coordinator, a treasurer, an internal communication manager, an event manager, and a volunteer coordinator. Committee members are renewable each production season.
How many people are needed to create an AMAP?
- There is no minimum number of consumers to start an AMAP. This number actually depends on the producer: from how many people does it become profitable to travel?
- Generally, AMAPs start with 25 people, but some have started with 6!
Producers and consumers
- It is preferable to start by recruiting consumers so they begin investing from the start of the project. AMAPs that started from a producer often face difficulties later in getting consumers to take responsibilities.
- A group of 4-5 consumers is sufficient to study and implement the project.
Consumers' commitments
By joining an AMAP, the consumer takes on responsibilities:
- Commit by paying their share of the harvest in advance, understanding that this includes sharing risks and benefits with the farm for the upcoming season.
- Come to pick up their basket.
- Communicate openly and freely their positive remarks, questions, or dissatisfaction directly to their farmer and the coordinator, so they can jointly consider possible explanations or improvements.
- Share ideas and initiatives with the farm and other partners to improve the project's functioning.
Farmers' commitments
By becoming an AMAP partner, a farmer also takes on responsibilities:
- Produce a variety of vegetables to compose varied baskets.
- Deliver products on the agreed day and time.
- Inform partners in case of exceptional problems affecting delivery or any activity: severe climatic issues, illness, etc.
- Be open to explaining the farm's work to partners.
- Take into account partners' remarks and needs. If unable to meet a request, explain the reasons. Conduct an evaluation at the end of the season.
Tools
There are some useful tools for managing an AMAP – see especially https://amapj.fr
Regulatory aspects
Forming a legal structure
Having a legal structure is not a prerequisite for launching an AMAP. Officially creating a 1901 law association however allows:
- Access to municipal services (premises, notice boards, ...),
- Strengthening the "democratic functioning" aspect of the AMAP by defining legal responsibilities and persons with decision-making power,
- Opening a bank account to collect fees and pay various management expenses of the association.
Regulations regarding direct sale of food products
Relevant regulatory texts are:
- Directive 93/43 EEC of the Council on food hygiene, transposed into French law by the order of May 9, 1995,
- Order of May 9, 1995 regulating hygiene of food delivered directly to consumers,
- Order of July 20, 1998, setting technical and hygienic conditions applicable to food transport.
Assessment
Advantages of AMAP for farmers
- Better remuneration for farmers: advance payment of fees provides the producer with cash flow to cover farm expenses (losses due to climatic hazards or phytosanitary problems, seed purchases, wages...) without having to borrow from a bank. Profit margins are also higher because this type of sale allows the farmer to set prices directly with members.
- Commercial advantage: the producer can count on a secure and rewarding commercial outlet, ensuring fair remuneration for their work. This is the advantage of direct sale: no intermediaries, all consumer payments go directly to the producer.
Advantages for consumers
- Fresh products, seasonal fruits and vegetables, locally grown, meeting quality expectations defined by consumers.
- For fruits and especially vegetables, old varieties, sometimes forgotten, unavailable in conventional distribution channels.
- Unbeatable quality-price ratio.
Environmental benefits
- Less product transportation.
- Less packaging.
- Less pollution related to crop cultivation: AMAPs are often organic, or at least in integrated farming, more environmentally friendly (less fertilizer, fewer pesticides…).
Sources
