Coup de Cœur : Fleurir l’avenir des femmes et de la planète, by Du Pain & des roses

In 2020, the association Du Pain & des roses received the Coup de Cœur award from the setec Foundation during its first call for projects on the fight against climate change in France for its project “Fleurir l’avenir des femmes et de la planète”.

 

©Du Pain & des roses

Based in Paris, it works to promote the French flower market and reduce precariousness by offering florist training to women with complex life paths who are far from employment, while respecting the environment. The setec Foundation has pledged to support this association up to 8,000 euros.

 

The project

The French flower market: a major ecological issue

 

Often associated with celebrations and birthdays, the sale of flowers is an ecological issue that should not be taken lightly. Unlike food products, the origin of flowers is not systematically labelled, and consumers lack crucial information on the environmental and social impact of flowers sold in France.

Today, around 85% of flowers sold in the country are of foreign origin, mostly grown in Kenya and Ethiopia. The health regulations and working conditions of the growers are therefore more flexible and less traceable than for locally produced flowers. In addition to the social aspect, this approach to flower cultivation has catastrophic ecological consequences: from growing the flowers out of season and out of the ground to transporting the goods in refrigerated containers to the florist.

 

©Du Pain & des roses

“Fleurir l’avenir des femmes et de la planète”: Flowering the future of women and the planet

 

The project “Fleurir l’avenir des femmes et de la planète presented by the Du Pain & des Roses association responds to this problem. It is part of an approach to renew the flower market that is more respectful of the environment by favouring local producers based in Ile-de-France, Brittany, and the Var.

In concrete terms, the association offers 7-week training sessions to women with complex life paths who are far from employment. They are generally women between 20 and 50 years old, of all origins, living in the Ile-de-France region and facing problems of professional reintegration, sometimes living in reception and accommodation centres (CHRS, CHU, CPH, etc.). To participate in these training courses, registration with Pôle Emploi, a minimum knowledge of French and a good physical condition are required. Today, the shelters are partners of the association and individually recommend women in need.

A training session is organised around two essential aspects, the theoretical part and the practical part:

  • During the theoretical phase, the trainees learn from florist trainers two days a week the techniques of flower arrangement and other skills essential to the florist’s trade, integrating into the French flower market. They are also assisted in preparing their professional project at the end of this training (writing CVs, creating a portfolio etc.).
  • The practical phase is devoted to real-life situations at the Du Pain & des Roses flower kiosk in Paris (near Saint-Lazare) – the association’s sales outlet – where the women apprentices develop their skills in preparing bouquets and their relationship with customers.
  • Educational outings are also organised to Rungis and L’Île-Saint-Denis (on the site of the Halage association) to raise awareness of the functioning of the French producers’ network and the flower’s journey.

The ecological aspect is central to the training of these future florists who will be confronted with these issues when they open their own shop or as employees.

 

©Du Pain & des roses. Caroline working at the kiosk

 

How far has the project progressed?

Like many structures, the covid crisis was a period of renewal for Du Pain & des roses. Initially set aside in view of the health restrictions, the group workshops are returning on an ad hoc basis according to demand.

At the time of writing, 14 women have been trained. The class of 2021 had 6 women, twice as many as the previous year. The reintegration rate is 87%: at the end of the training, the women trained have found a job or have decided to pursue an academic course in the form of a CAP (professional training certificate) or an apprenticeship. The organisation of the association is also evolving: the desire to establish an advocacy strategy has led to new recruitments within the team.

 

©Du Pain & des roses. Atelier collectif

The role of the setec Foundation

The setec Foundation is providing financial support to Du Pain & des roses for the implementation of this project and more specifically for the training sessions throughout 2021. At the end of the 2020 call for projects on “the fight against climate change in France”, it undertook to award the “Coup de Coeur” prize, a total of 8,000 euros, to the structure in order to carry out the “Fleur l’avenir des femmes et de la planète” project.

A rigorous follow-up is also organised throughout the year following the awarding of the prizes, during which reports on the progress of the project are exchanged to ensure that the missions are carried out correctly and that the association has any needs.

It is important for the setec Foundation to create a lasting link with the structures supported, whatever the amount. To do this, it puts employees in contact with the associations to meet some of their skill needs. For example, a setec employee volunteered to help structure the impact measurement of the Du Pain & des roses association. In addition, one of the group’s subsidiaries bought flowers from the association on several occasions in 2021 and offered them to its employees.

 

 

 


To find out more about Du Pain & des roses, visit their website.

To keep up to date with the news of the setec Foundation and to find out about the next winners of the annual call for projects and the Transition Fund, follow the LinkedIn page.