C'est Qui Le Patron La Marque Du Consommateur

What C'est Qui Le Patron La Marque Du Consommateur does

C'est Qui Le Patron La Marque Du Consommateur (legal entity: La Société des Consommateurs, SCIC) is a Paris-headquartered French consumer cooperative founded in 2016 during the milk crisis by Nicolas Chabanne, Laurent Pasquier, and milk producer Martial Darbon. Its model is the co-construction of branded food products: consumer-members (sociétaires) purchase a €1 share to obtain one vote, and collectively decide product specifications, sourcing criteria, and a fair "Prix Voté" that guarantees producers a fixed, audited remuneration independent of commodity-market fluctuations. The portfolio covers 20+ solidarity products spanning dairy (semi-skimmed, whole and skimmed milk, butter, fresh cheese, yogurts, emmental, raclette), eggs (free-range and organic), produce (cherries, apples, potatoes, onions, shallots, tomato puree), and beverages (apple juice), each with on-pack transparency of the producer-share breakdown.

The cooperative has no proprietary technology stack and is not a software company; the underlying "platform" is an online sociétaire portal (Espace Sociétaire) plus a public voting/consultation process that has mobilized 41,000+ voters in 2025 and 1,090 in-person meetups. Distribution is conducted entirely through partners: mass-market retail (Carrefour — the 2017 launch partner covering all 5,500 French stores — plus Leclerc, Auchan, Intermarché, Monoprix, Coopérative U), food-service wholesale (TransGourmet, Passion Froid, France Frais, Promocash, DMG, Newrest), out-of-home consumption (Bio Burger uses CQLP organic milk across all French locations), and online (Chronodrive, Houra). Producer partners include LSDH (milk processing), Sicoly (cherries), and Rians (fresh cheese).

Revenue mechanics are explicitly margin-light: the SCIC earns a small per-unit fee on solidarity-product sales, with the majority of the consumer-paid price passed to producers. Cumulative scale reached 701 million+ solidarity products sold, 549.5 million liters of milk, 2,500+ producer families supported, and 15.3 million consumers served by 2026; 2025 alone delivered 63.7 million liters of milk and 301,824 cherry barquettes. No external funding rounds are disclosed; ownership is distributed across the sociétaire base, and the structure is non-profit by charter (surplus reinvested or redistributed to members by vote).

Name

C'est Qui Le Patron La Marque Du Consommateur

Legal name

La Société des Consommateurs

Website

https://cestquilepatron.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

C'est Qui Le Patron La Marque Du Consommateur is a Paris-based French consumer cooperative (SCIC) where consumer-members vote to co-design branded food products and set fair, fixed producer prices. It sells 20+ solidarity SKUs across dairy, eggs, produce, and juice through French mass retail and food service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fair-Trade Consumer Packaged Foods (Dairy and Produce)

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Functional Packaged Foods (Gluten-Free, Keto, Organic, Medical/Allergen-Friendly) (CRADAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Member-Owned Food Cooperatives (CRAHALAA)

Keywords

• Consumer cooperative
• Fair trade dairy
• Solidarity food products
• Producer fair remuneration
• Collective product voting

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Product sales (solidarity goods): Revenue is generated entirely through the sale of consumer goods (milk, butter, cheese, eggs, fruits, vegetables, etc.) that bear the CQLP brand. These products are co-designed by consumers and producers. The cooperative earns a small margin per unit sold, with the majority of additional consumer spending passed directly to producers as fair remuneration. The cooperative is non-profit in structure (SCIC) and any surplus is reinvested or redistributed to members via votes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

C'est Qui Le Patron ?! designs and brands solidarity food products — milk, cheeses, butter, eggs, yogurts, cherries, apples, potatoes, onions, shallots, tomato puree, apple juice, and more — whose product specifications and producer prices are collectively set by consumer-members of the SCIC cooperative. Products are manufactured by partner producers/processors (e.g., LSDH for milk, Sicoly for cherries, Rians for fromage blanc) and distributed through French mass-market retailers and food-service wholesalers.

Product overview

C'est Qui Le Patron ?! is a consumer cooperative that creates solidarity products through collective consumer voting. The portfolio includes 20+ fair-trade products: milk (demi-écrémé, entier, écrémé), emmental cheese, butter, fresh cheese, free-range eggs, organic eggs, solidarity cherries, potatoes, onions, shallots, tomato puree, apple juice, yogurts, raclette, and more. All products feature fair producer remuneration and full transparency on pricing. Consumers vote on product specifications, pricing, and cahiers des charges through the cooperative's online platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lait C'est Qui Le Patron ?! (Consumer Solidarity Milk) Semi-skimmed (1.5% fat, 1L/0.5L), whole (3.5% fat, 1L), and skimmed (0% fat, 1L) cow's milk whose specification and producer price (€0.54/L) were collectively voted by consumer-members; producer remuneration roughly 23% above the average French sector price of €0.439/L. Sold via mass-market retailers across France.
• Emmental Solidaire Solidarity emmental cheese made from French milk, with €1.06 per pack returning directly to producers and no added anti-caking agent; supports 56 producer families in Brittany.
• Cerises Solidaires (Solidarity Cherries) French-origin solidarity cherries sold in 500g boxes at a recommended price of €4.98 per box, with €2 per box paid directly to producers (€4/kg); supports 92 cherry-producer families in Côteaux and Monts du Lyonnais.
• Oeufs Plein Air et Bio CQLP (Free-Range and Organic Eggs) Free-range (plein air) and organic eggs from French producers earning fair remuneration; free-range eggs are collected within 250km of the packing centre.
• Beurre de Baratte CQLP (Churned Butter) Churned butter produced from CQLP milk and cream with fair producer remuneration and price transparency.
• Fromage Blanc CQLP (Fresh White Cheese) Fresh white cheese made from whole milk and cream sourced from CQLP producers, manufactured by partner Rians.
• Yaourts CQLP (Yogurts, including vanilla) Yogurts produced with CQLP milk, including vanilla-flavored variants, sold through mass retailers.
• Raclette Solidaire Solidarity raclette cheese created to support the fromagerie d'Entrammes and its local cheese producers, sold with fair, voted producer pricing.
• Pommes de Terre CQLP (Solidarity Potatoes) Solidarity potatoes priced with fair farmer remuneration, distributed through Auchan and other mass-market retailers.
• Oignons et Échalottes CQLP (Solidarity Onions and Shallots) Solidarity onions and shallots sold with fair pricing for French vegetable producers, distributed through mass retailers and food-service channels.
• Concassé de Tomates CQLP (Tomato Puree) Tomato puree packaged in glass jars, developed through the CQLP consumer consultation process with fair producer remuneration.
• Jus de Pomme CQLP (Apple Juice) Apple juice produced from French orchards with fair pricing paid to producer cooperatives, sold across mass retail and food-service channels.
• Espace Sociétaire (Cooperative Member Portal) Online member portal where the 17,559+ cooperative shareholders access personal information, view producer billing and audit reports, participate in general assemblies, and consult product specifications. Membership requires purchasing a €1 cooperative share.

Quantifiable outcome

• Producer revenue doubled (x2.1) after 8 years of CQLP fair remuneration
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Leclerc (E.Leclerc)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026Major French retailer stocking CQLP emmental, cherries, and broader product range. Leclerc Bellerive Sur Allier hosted in-store producer animations. One of the first major retailers to commit to the 2026 cherry solidarity season alongside Auchan, Intermarché, Monoprix, and Coopérative U.
• AuchancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026Major French hypermarket chain actively supporting the CQLP cherry solidarity campaign (Season 2, 2026) with in-store animations at Auchan Villars, Dardilly, La Défense, and Taverny. Committed retailer for the cherry solidarity initiative alongside Leclerc, Intermarché, Monoprix, and Coopérative U.
• IntermarchécoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026French supermarket cooperative supporting CQLP cherry solidarity campaign (Season 2, 2026). Hosted producer-consumer meetups at Intermarché Chazelle-sur-Lyon, Pavillons-sous-Bois, and Valence. Increasing shelf space for CQLP solidarity products across its network.
• MonoprixminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026French urban supermarket chain (part of Casino group) that joined the cherry solidarity season 2 (2026) as a committed retailer. Provides access to urban consumers who specifically seek out CQLP products.
• Sicoly (Coopérative Sicoly)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Cherry producer cooperative based in the Côteaux and Monts du Lyonnais. CQLP works with Sicoly to set a fixed fair price for cherries (4€/kg), providing 92 families with stable income. Sicoly's pilot orchard also conducts research on fighting Drosophila suzukii using sterile insect technique. Partnership renewed for Season 2 in 2026.
• TransGourmetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Major food service wholesale distributor serving restaurants, hotels, and caterers across France. Supplies CQLP products (milk, eggs, cheese white, apple juice, onions, shallots, potatoes) to professional food service clients. The products qualify under French Egalim regulations for public-sector catering procurement.
• Bio BurgercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Bio Burger uses CQLP organic milk in all its French restaurant locations for ice cream and milkshakes. This represents an important out-of-home consumption channel. Supports organic milk producers in Cher, Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, and Yonne departments. 30% of French agricultural product consumption occurs outside the home, making restaurant partnerships key to broader impact.
• DMG FranceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Food service distributor supplying CQLP products to professional catering businesses.
• NewrestminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Large international catering company operating in France, incorporating CQLP products into its food service offerings.
• France FraisminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Fresh food distributor supplying CQLP products to food service clients in France.
• Passion Froid (Groupe Pomona)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Food distribution company (Part of Pomona group) distributing CQLP products to food service professionals.
• PromocashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Cash-and-carry wholesale distributor for catering professionals, stocking CQLP products.
• Nikos Aliagas (Photographer)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Renowned photographer who documented CQLP producer life in Bresse for a 10th anniversary touring exhibition. At the invitation of co-founder Nicolas Chabanne (childhood friend), Aliagas produced a series of photographs capturing farmers at work, exhibited at Palais de l'Homme until January 2027.
• CarrefourflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2017First national distributor partner — Carrefour agreed to stock CQLP milk across all 5,500 of its stores in France, making it the launch platform for the brand in 2017. This partnership was decisive in making CQLP the biggest agri-food success in 30 years. Carrefour continues to carry the full CQLP product range.
• La Laiterie de Saint-Denis-de-l'Hôtel (LSDH)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017The dairy processor that collects, transforms, and packages CQLP milk. LSDH works with CQLP to implement the collectively-voted specifications and ensure the fixed fair price is applied year-round. LSDH's commitment was essential to the 2017 launch and continues to be a core manufacturing partner.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Biocoop: France's leading network of organic and fair-trade food retail cooperatives. Operates ~700 member-owned stores selling organic, locally-sourced, and ethically-produced groceries. Comparable as a French member-owned cooperative model in fair/ethical food retail.
• Ethiquable: French fair-trade food brand operating as a SCOP (cooperative) selling coffee, chocolate, rice, and other commodities sourced from small-scale producers under long-term contracts with guaranteed minimum prices. Direct peer in the French fair-trade cooperative space with similar producer-remuneration mission.

Broad incumbents

• Fairtrade France (Max Havelaar France): French arm of the international Fairtrade/Max Havelaar labeling organization. Operates the Fairtrade certification mark across food categories. Comparable as the dominant fair-trade brand and certification framework in France, though operating via licensing rather than direct product ownership.
• Léa Nature: Independent French group owning organic and natural food brands (Bjorg, Brioche Pasquier bio line, various organic CPG). Comparable as an established French organic/specialty packaged-food brand group, though privately held by a single family rather than cooperatively owned by consumers.
• Bjorg: Leading French organic food brand (part of Léa Nature) selling organic biscuits, drinks, and grocery items across France. Comparable as a French organic packaged-food brand with strong retail distribution, though lacking CQLP's consumer-cooperative ownership model.

Regional players

• Triballat Noyal: French dairy cooperative producing organic and conventional dairy products (yogurts, cheeses, butters). Owned by ~1,000 farmer-members. Comparable as a French dairy cooperative with farmer-owned governance, though operating in conventional retail rather than the consumer-cooperative GTM model.
• Coopérative U (Système U): Major French retail cooperative with ~1,600 supermarkets/hypermarkets owned by independent merchant-members. Both a CQLP distribution partner and a structural comparable as a French retail cooperative, though operating physical retail rather than CPG brands.

Emerging players

• En Direct des Éleveurs: French cooperative brand selling meat and dairy directly from farmer-members, bypassing traditional distribution. Comparable as a French farmer-owned cooperative CPG brand with similar producer-remuneration ethos, though smaller scale and different category focus.
• Pour de Bon: French online marketplace/platform connecting consumers directly with French artisan and farmer producers. Comparable as an emerging French platform enabling producer-direct and fair-remuneration food commerce, though operating as a marketplace rather than an owned CPG brand.
• La Vie est Belle (cooperative brands): French fair-trade/ethical consumer movement with affiliated cooperative product lines. Comparable as part of the broader French ethical/solidarity consumer brand movement, though operating through NGO partnerships rather than direct producer cooperatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/C_qui_le_Patron
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClT8D-W7SAOt0jBuDk5jkTg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CestQuiLePatronCestLeConso
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/c%27est-qui-le-patron-
• Instagraminstagram.com/cestquilepatron_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about C'est Qui Le Patron La Marque Du Consommateur