Cocagne Network

What Cocagne Network does

Réseau Cocagne (Cocagne Network) is a French non-profit association (association loi 1901), founded in 1991 and headquartered in Vauhallan, Essonne, that operates a national federation of approximately 150 organic market-gardening farms (Jardins de Cocagne) employing adults facing social and professional difficulty. The network's core activity is Insertion par l'Activité Économique (IAE) — using organic farming work as a reintegration pathway back to mainstream employment — while simultaneously producing local organic vegetables distributed to roughly 1,500 points across France through solidarity basket subscriptions (paniers solidaires) and solidarity markets with differentiated pricing.

The network's product portfolio is structured as an ecosystem: the farms themselves serve as the core operational unit; Manger Bio Solidaire provides affordable organic food access to consumers including underserved populations; Lab'Cocagne is an innovation laboratory developing experimental projects at the intersection of social enterprise, sustainable food, and the social and solidarity economy (ESS); Construire des Territoires Bio Solidaires provides methodology and toolkits for territorial development; and Cocagne Investissement is a solidarity finance platform delivered through partner Crédit Coopératif. Supporting offerings include the annual Journées Territoriales de l'Alimentation (JTA), a knowledge and resources platform (tutorials, guides, webinaire replays), and the communauté Cocagne member community. There is no proprietary technology stack; the organization is explicitly positioned as a social-mission actor rather than a technology company.

The revenue model is hybrid and non-commercial: primary funding comes from French public social integration policy (IAE subsidies that finance insertion-worker wages), supplemented by individual donations, corporate Ticket Restaurant contributions, solidarity savings products channeled through the long-standing Crédit Coopératif partnership, and territorial grants including the Programme National pour l'Alimentation. The network generates no transaction revenue itself from the farm operations — pricing is set locally at each garden and is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is community-led: membership is reserved for organic insertion farms and project leaders aligned with the national charter, and growth is driven by territorial expansion, word-of-mouth, and alignment with public policy objectives rather than commercial sales motion.

Name

Cocagne Network

Legal name

Réseau Cocagne

Website

https://reseaucocagne.asso.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cocagne Network (Réseau Cocagne) is a French non-profit association operating a national federation of approximately 150 organic insertion farms that provide social and professional reintegration pathways for adults in difficulty while distributing organic vegetables through ~1,500 local points across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social integration organic agriculture

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112), Other Vegetable (except Potato) and Melon Farming (111219)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Vegetable & Melon Farming (Open-Field) (AFAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic Produce Wholesale (AFAIACAE), Greenhouse Vegetable Production (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Leafy Greens) (AFAGAHAA), Farmer Cooperatives & Co-op Retail (AFABAJAB)

Keywords

• Social integration agriculture
• Organic market gardening
• Professional reintegration programs
• Solidarity food systems
• Community-supported agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Vauhallan

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Social integration public funding: The primary revenue source comes from public funding allocated to social and professional integration structures (structures d'insertion), which subsidize wages for workers in career pathways.
2. Solidarity donations and Ticket Restaurant contributions: Donations from individuals and corporate partners (e.g., Ticket Restaurant contributions) support field projects and unlock new initiatives.
3. Solidary savings products: The Crédit Coopératif partnership allows clients to support the Jardins de Cocagne through solidary banking products (épargne solidaire), channeling funds to the network.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cocagne Network operates a national federation of organic market-gardening farms (Jardins de Cocagne) that produce and distribute organic vegetables through approximately 1,500 points across France while providing social and professional integration (insertion) contracts for adults facing social difficulties. The network monetizes this through public insertion funding, vegetable basket subscriptions, solidarity markets, donations, and solidary savings products channeled via Crédit Coopératif.

Product overview

The Réseau Cocagne is a network of approximately 150 organic social inclusion farms (Jardins de Cocagne) operating across France. The core offering is the network of farms themselves, which provide social and professional integration (insertion socioprofessionnelle) for people facing difficulties, producing organic vegetables distributed through solidarity programs. Supporting offerings include Manger Bio Solidaire (access to affordable organic food), Lab'Cocagne (innovation partnerships), Territoires Bio Solidaires (territorial development support), Cocagne Investissement (solidarity finance), and a comprehensive knowledge resources platform. The portfolio functions as a unified ecosystem: farms provide the social mission and production, while the support programs facilitate scaling, partnerships, and knowledge sharing across the network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jardins de Cocagne (network of organic insertion farms)
• Manger Bio Solidaire (Solidarity Organic Food program) Program offering organic, local, and affordable vegetables to all through approximately 1,500 distribution points across France, including tutorials and pedagogical resources for eating organic on a budget.
• Lab'Cocagne (innovation laboratory) Innovation laboratory experimenting with projects at the intersection of social enterprise, sustainable food, and the social and solidarity economy (ESS), partnering with public institutions and private actors.
• Cocagne Investissement Solidarity investment platform allowing individuals to financially support Cocagne gardens and network projects, with products offered through partner Crédit Coopératif.
• Construire des Territoires Bio Solidaires Technical assistance and methodology toolkit for building organic solidarity territories, supporting local authorities and organizations in developing short supply chains, job creation, and social action through network gardens.
• Marchés Solidaires (solidarity markets) Solidarity markets with differentiated pricing, supported by webinars and accompaniment resources for setting up and evolving such markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1500 distribution points across France
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• EdenredminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEdenred partners with the Cocagne Network to advance sustainable food access. Laure Tocher, in charge of partnerships at Edenred, discussed the collaboration in the context of promoting daily sustainable food consumption and making organic food accessible to all.
• AréliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArélia acts as an intermediary partner, facilitating connections between people in difficulty and Cocagne gardens. In one documented case, Arélia helped Vanessa Certain secure a market gardening position at the Fraternité Sud Lorraine association, which is a member of the Cocagne network.
• Communs paysans and Soudons!minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing the liquidation of SCIC L'Atelier Paysan (a partner of Cocagne gardens for technical autonomy), partner associations Communs paysans and Soudons! chose to relaunch the project originally carried by the cooperative. This partnership sustains technical training and tool autonomy for Cocagne farms.
• Collectif IAE (Insertion par l'Activité Économique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cocagne Network participates in the Collectif IAE, a collective representing social integration through economic activity in France. The collective has responded to national budget arbitrations affecting insertion policies, advocating for the sector's public funding.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fédération Française des Banques Alimentaires: French federation of food banks collecting and distributing food to charitable organizations serving people in need. Comparable as a national solidarity food distribution network with public-policy legitimacy, but focused on redistribution of donated surplus rather than organic production.
• ANDES (Association Nationale de Développement des Épiceries Solidaires): National French network of solidarity grocery stores offering affordable food to people in precarious situations. Closely comparable to Cocagne's solidarity markets and Manger Bio Solidaire program in mission, target population, and French public-policy alignment.
• France Active: National network financing and supporting social enterprises and insertion initiatives in France through solidarity finance. Comparable in mission (mobilizing finance for social impact) and operating model (regional network with public-policy integration).

Broad incumbents

• Emmaüs France: Major French social economy federation running insertion activities through economic enterprises (recycling, resale, agriculture). Comparable as a long-established general-interest social integration network with diversified economic activities, though broader in scope than Cocagne.
• Fédération des Entreprises d'Insertion (FEI): National federation of insertion enterprises in France, of which Cocagne gardens are members. Comparable as a sector umbrella organization representing insertion enterprises, including the IAE framework that funds Cocagne.
• Fédération Nationale d'Agriculture Biologique (FNAB): National federation representing French organic farmers, including producers and local organizations. Comparable in the organic agriculture domain and public-policy advocacy for organic farming, but focused on advocacy and producer representation rather than insertion activities.
• Restos du Cœur (Les Restaurants du Cœur): Iconic French food aid association distributing meals and groceries to people in poverty. Comparable target population and reliance on volunteer networks and public funding, but operates at a larger national scale and through food distribution rather than insertion agriculture.

Others

• Secours Catholique - Caritas France: Major French Catholic charity addressing poverty and exclusion, including through food assistance and insertion programs. Comparable in target population and public-policy advocacy for poverty reduction, but broader in scope and not focused on organic farming.

Emerging players

• Solidaridad (European network): International civil society organization working on sustainable supply chains and smallholder inclusion across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Comparable in mission of combining agricultural production with social impact, though more global in scope and supply-chain focused.

Regional players

• Réseau Cocagne Suisse: Swiss counterpart organization running similar Jardins de Cocagne organic insertion gardens. Highly comparable in name, model, and mission, but operating in Switzerland rather than France and does not directly compete for beneficiaries or funders in Cocagne's geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/reseaucocagne
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/r-seau-cocagne

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cocagne Network