ASSOCIATION POUR LA PROMOTION D'UNE AGRICULTURE DURABLE - APAD

What ASSOCIATION POUR LA PROMOTION D'UNE AGRICULTURE DURABLE - APAD does

APAD (Association pour la Promotion d'une Agriculture Durable) is a French non-profit association founded in 1998 that promotes Conservation Agriculture (Agriculture de Conservation des Sols, ACS) through a national peer-to-peer farmer network. It operates as a federation of approximately 700 farmers organized into 10 regional associations (Picardie, Centre-Est, APAD-CA, Perche, Val de Loire, Nord-Est, Sol et Eau, Terre de Seine, Clacsol, and the national entity), with a small staff of 13 people based in Etormay and Saint Etienne de Tulmont, France. Its core mission is the diffusion of three FAO-defined ACS pillars: permanent soil cover, no-till seeding, and crop diversity/rotation.

The association delivers a portfolio of programs and digital assets. The 'SOLS Transition' accompaniment program (priced from €1,250 in year 1, APAD membership included) provides audits, action plans, and multi-year reviews. The 'Label Au Coeur des Sols', created in 2020 and owned by farmer collectives, has over 300 farms in process and serves as an economic valorization mark. Training is delivered via VIVEA-funded programs (1,515 hours to 202 trainees in 2025 at 98% satisfaction) and includes the 'En route vers l'ACS' course. The 'Au Coeur des Solutions' digital platform houses a searchable technical document base, 65+ monthly 'Instants Techniques' publications, and a 180+ video library, and now features an AI assistant for natural-language document queries. Additional lines include the 'Du Carbone Au Coeur des Sols 2022-2027' voluntary carbon credit project, the 'Mystère au Coeur des Sols' educational comic book (€18), and a primary-school pedagogical kit.

Revenue is diversified across six streams: annual membership fees, training services (often co-financed by VIVEA), SOLS Transition program fees, donations (eligible for 66% individual and 60% corporate French tax credits), voluntary carbon credit sales, and merchandise. Go-to-market is community-led: growth is driven by peer referrals across the 10 regional associations, supplemented by a monthly newsletter (~2,000 contacts), social media communities (5,000+ contacts), agricultural events, and partnerships with Crédit Agricole Nord de France, the French Ministry of Agriculture, VIVEA, Arvalis, and other research bodies. The stated strategic ambition is to reach 30% of French farmers in Conservation Agriculture by 2030, from an estimated 2-4% current adoption rate.

Name

ASSOCIATION POUR LA PROMOTION D'UNE AGRICULTURE DURABLE - APAD

Legal name

Association pour la Promotion d'une Agriculture Durable

Website

https://apad.asso.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

APAD is a French non-profit association founded in 1998 that promotes Conservation Agriculture through a 700-farmer network in 10 regional associations, offering transition support, the Au Coeur des Sols label, training, a carbon credit project, and an AI-assisted knowledge platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Agriculture Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH), Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) Program Development & Administration (AFAMAMAF), Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO)

Keywords

• Conservation agriculture
• Farmer network training
• Soil health certification
• Carbon credit agriculture
• Agroecology advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Etormay

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for farmers joining the APAD network and accessing the SOLS Transition program, training, and member resources
2. Training Services: Formation training services including the flagship 'En route vers l'ACS' program. Training partly or fully funded by VIVEA (agricultural training fund). In 2025: 1515 hours of training to 202 trainees.
3. SOLS Transition Program: Transition accompaniment program priced from €1250 in year 1 (APAD membership included). Includes initial audit, personalized action plan, and annual assessment.
4. Comic Book Sales: Sale of the educational comic book 'Mystère au Coeur des Sols' at €18 (excluding shipping). Proceeds fund association actions for farmer members.
5. Donations with Tax Credits: Donations from individuals and companies benefiting from 66% tax credit for individuals (up to 20% of income) and 60% for companies (up to 0.5% of turnover)
6. Carbon Credits - Du Carbone Au Coeur des Sols: Voluntary carbon market project 'Du Carbone Au Coeur des Sols 2022-2027' enabling companies and communities to compensate GHG emissions by investing in carbon storage by ACS farmers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

APAD is a French non-profit farmers' association promoting Conservation Agriculture (Agriculture de Conservation des Sols - ACS) through a national network of 700 farmers organized into 10 regional associations. It delivers training programs, a multi-year transition accompaniment (SOLS Transition), the farmer-owned 'Au Coeur des Sols' certification label, and a voluntary carbon credit project ('Du Carbone Au Coeur des Sols') that monetizes soil carbon sequestration by ACS farmers.

Product overview

APAD operates as a national network of approximately 700 farmers organized into 10 regional associations, offering a unified portfolio of agricultural training programs, certification services, and knowledge resources centered on Conservation Agriculture (Agriculture de Conservation des Sols - ACS). The core offerings include: (1) training programs such as 'En route vers l'ACS' and specialized agricultural courses; (2) the 'Label Au Coeur des Sols' certification created in 2020 for ACS farmer collectives; (3) the 'SOLS Transition' multi-year accompaniment program for farmers transitioning to ACS; (4) the 'Au Coeur des Solutions' digital platform with an AI assistant for technical document retrieval; (5) monthly 'Instants Techniques' publications from the Technical Committee; (6) educational resources including a comic book 'Mystère au Coeur des Sols' and pedagogical kits for schools; and (7) the 'Du Carbone au Coeur des Sols' carbon sequestration project enabling carbon credit generation for ACS farmers. The network also runs 10+ research and development projects (SOL'iflore, OSOLEMI'EAU, DYCASOL, etc.) addressing ACS practices, biodiversity, and water management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Label Au Coeur des Sols: A private label created by collectives of farmers, combining agriculture and environment via a progress approach. It values the farm as a whole and its production system for all stakeholders in the territory.
• SOLS Transition
• Instants Techniques
• Au Coeur des Solutions

Products and services

• En route vers l'ACS (Training Program) Initial training program for farmers beginning their transition to Conservation Agriculture, providing practical operational knowledge based on farmer expertise. Funded partly or fully by VIVEA.
• Label Au Coeur des Sols Private farmer-owned certification label created in 2020 to identify and economically valorize farms practicing Conservation Agriculture, with 300+ farms currently in the labeling process.
• SOLS Transition Program Annual or multi-year (up to 5 years) personalized accompaniment program for farmers transitioning to Conservation Agriculture, including initial Au Coeur des Sols diagnostic, personalized action plan, and annual assessment. Pricing from €1,250 year 1.
• Au Coeur des Solutions Digital Platform Digital platform providing a searchable database of technical, practical, and regulatory documents for ACS, featuring an AI assistant (Au Coeur des Solutions) that answers natural-language queries about agricultural content.
• Instants Techniques (Monthly Technical Publications) Monthly technical publications issued by the APAD Technical Committee since 2020, presenting new methods, key success factors, farmer experiences, and expert opinions on Conservation Agriculture.
• Du Carbone Au Coeur des Sols (Carbon Credit Project) Low-carbon project (Label Bas Carbone) enabling ACS farmers to generate and sell carbon credits from soil carbon sequestration to companies and communities seeking carbon neutrality.
• Mystère au Coeur des Sols (Comic Book) Educational comic book for sensitizing young readers to soil life preservation and Conservation Agriculture, sold at €18 per copy with proceeds funding association actions.
• Les Défis de l'APAD (Pedagogical Kit) Pedagogical kit for primary school teachers (CP-CM2) introducing Conservation Agriculture through 8 challenges, 5 practical sheets, and 3 posters.
• APAD Regional Network Membership Network of 700 farmers across 10 regional associations (Picardie, Centre-Est, APAD-CA, Perche, Val de Loire, Nord-Est, Sol et Eau, Terre de Seine, Clacsol, plus APAD Nationale) providing peer support, field encounters, trial platforms, and exchange groups for ACS practitioners.
• APAD Video Channel Video library of 180+ videos including testimonials, group activities, experience sharing, and technical advice to support farmers in agroecological practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% reduction in soil erosion in Conservation Agriculture
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Crédit Agricole Nord de FrancecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCredit Agricole Nord de France developed specific offers for farmers undergoing agroecological transition. The 'Transition+' offer provides cumulative advantages on financing, insurance, and card services for APAD members with Au Coeur des Sols label or SOLS Transition program engagement. Banking offer indexed to agronomic practices justified by environmental diagnostic.
• Farmer Collectives (Collectifs d'Agriculteurs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple farmer collectives grouped under APAD networks jointly own and operate the 'Au Coeur des Sols' label. Farmers themselves are owners and builders of the label from their field reality, while addressing societal expectations to reconnect agricultural production with food consumption.
• French Ministry of AgriculturemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe comic book project 'Mystère au Coeur des Sols' benefited from financial support of the Ministry of Agriculture and European MCDR funds as part of the 'Réseau rural ACS' project. Similar support received for the pedagogical kit project 'Les Défis de l'APAD'.
• VIVEA (Fonds d'Assurance Formation des Agriculteurs)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerVIVEA training fund finances farmer participation in APAD training programs, either fully or partially. This enables broad access to ACS formation for agricultural professionals, making training economically accessible for farmers.
• Carbon Credit Buyers (Entreprises/Collectivités)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerCompanies and communities seeking carbon neutrality can invest in the 'Du Carbone Au Coeur des Sols 2022-2027' project, a voluntary carbon market initiative enabling compensation of GHG emissions through carbon storage by ACS farmers in France.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Soil Association: A major UK nonprofit promoting sustainable and organic farming with certification, training, and advocacy; comparable to APAD as a larger, more mature version of the same farmer-focused sustainability organization model.
• Arvalis - Institut du Végétal: France's main applied agricultural research institute for crops, collaborating with APAD on fertilization trials and producing technical content that overlaps with APAD's ACS knowledge base.
• ECAF (European Conservation Agriculture Federation): The pan-European federation coordinating national Conservation Agriculture associations; directly comparable as APAD is a national member of this broader ecosystem and shares the same ACS promotion mission.

Direct peers

• Fondation pour une Agriculture Durable: A French foundation promoting sustainable agriculture and supporting farmer transitions, comparable to APAD in mission, French focus, and educational/advocacy role in sustainable farming.
• BASE (Biodiversité, Agriculture, Sol et Environnement): A French nonprofit association of farmers promoting Conservation Agriculture and soil biodiversity, with a comparable member-network structure, technical content, and agronomic focus to APAD.
• No-Till Farmers Association: A US-based nonprofit farmer association promoting no-till and Conservation Agriculture, sharing the same member-network, training, and knowledge-sharing model that APAD uses in France.
• Pour une Agriculture du Vivant: A French movement and label initiative promoting regenerative and Conservation Agriculture among French farmers, with farmer networks, label certification, and training programs directly comparable to APAD's offerings.

Others

• IDELE (Institut de l'Élevage): France's applied research institute for livestock farming, addressing mixed crop-livestock systems that overlap with one of APAD's farmer segments; relevant as an adjacent technical-content and training actor for APAD's polyculture-élevage members.
• Greenpeace France - Agriculture Campaign: A major environmental advocacy organization with active French campaigns on sustainable agriculture and soil; comparable to APAD as an advocacy actor in the broader French environmental-agriculture space, though operating at much larger scale and without a farmer-membership base.

Emerging players

• Ver de Terre Production: A French regenerative agriculture media and training company producing content, courses, and events for farmers transitioning to soil-friendly practices, with a comparable knowledge-distribution and training role to APAD.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-pour-la-promotion-d'une-agriculture-durable

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ASSOCIATION POUR LA PROMOTION D'UNE AGRICULTURE DURABLE - APAD