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Du Pain & des roses

Missions

Flowering the future of women and the planet

Date

2020

Localisation

France

In 2020, the Du Pain & des roses association was awarded the Coup de Cœur prize by the setec Foundation in its first call for projects to combat climate change in France for its project ‘Fleurir l’avenir des femmes et de la planète’ (‘Flowering the future of women and the planet’).

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

The project

The French flower market: a major ecological challenge

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 about the environmental and social impact of flowers sold in France.

Today, around 85% of the flowers sold in the country are of foreign origin, grown mainly 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. As well as the social aspects, this approach to growing flowers has catastrophic ecological consequences: from growing flowers out of season and out of the ground to transporting the goods in refrigerated containers to the florist.

Flowering the future of women and the planet

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

In practical terms, the association offers 7-week training sessions to women with complex backgrounds who are far from employment. These are generally women aged between 20 and 50, of all origins, living in the Ile-de-France region and facing problems getting back to work, and sometimes living in reception and accommodation centres (CHRS, CHU, CPH, etc.). To take part in these training courses, you need to be registered with Pôle Emploi, have a minimum knowledge of French and be in good physical condition. 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, apprentices work alongside florist trainers two days a week to learn flower arrangement techniques and other skills essential to the profession of florist, while integrating into the French flower market. They are also helped to prepare their career plans at the end of the course (writing CVs, creating a portfolio, etc.).
The practical phase is devoted to real-life situations at the Du Pain & des Roses flower stall in Paris (near Saint-Lazare) – the association’s sales outlet – where the women apprentices develop their skills in preparing bouquets and dealing with customers.
Educational outings are also organised to Rungis and Île-Saint-Denis (on the site of the Halage association) to raise awareness of the workings of the network of French producers and the flower’s journey.

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

How is the project progressing?

Like many organisations, the health crisis was a period of renewal for Du Pain & des roses. Initially put on hold in view of the health restrictions, the group workshops are coming back on an ad hoc basis according to demand.

At the time of writing, 14 women have been trained. The class of 2021 included 6 women, twice as many as the previous year. The reintegration rate is 87%: at the end of the training, the women trained either found a job or decided to pursue an academic career in the form of a vocational or work-linked training course. The organisation of the association is also evolving: the desire to establish an advocacy strategy has led to new recruitment within the team.

The role of the setec Foundation

The setec Foundation is providing financial support to Du Pain & des roses for this project, and more specifically for the training sessions throughout 2021. At the end of the 2020 call for projects on ‘Combating climate change in France’, it undertook to award the ‘Coup de Coeur’ prize, totalling 8,000 euros, to the organisation in order to successfully complete the project Fleurir l’avenir des femmes et de la planète (Flowering the future of women and the planet).

Rigorous monitoring is also organised throughout the year following the award of the prizes, during which reports on the progress of the project are exchanged to ensure the smooth running of the missions and any needs the association may have.

It is important for the setec Foundation to create a lasting relationship with the organisations it supports, whatever the amount. To this end, it puts employees in touch with the associations to meet some of their skills needs. For example, a setec employee volunteered to help structure the impact measurement of the Du Pain & des roses association. In addition, a Group subsidiary 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 latest news from the setec Foundation and find out about the next winners of the annual call for projects and the Transition Fund, follow their LinkedIn page.

Expertises

Transition Fund

Key figures

8 000 euros