Les Compagnons du Végétal

What Les Compagnons du Végétal does

Les Compagnons du Végétal is a French nonprofit association (association loi 1901) founded in 2014 in Charente, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, with a stated mission to advance biodiversity, agroecology, and food resilience in the territory. The organization operates through three integrated service pillars: Animations & Ateliers (educational workshops and conferences for schools, professionals, and the general public, including structured programs such as Docteurs de Nature, Théâtre de la Biodiversité, Arbronaute, and the Qualiopi-certified Pépins et Compagnie training), Aménagements (design, creation, and maintenance of edible gardens, orchards, forest gardens, hedges, and ponds on public and shared lands), and Semences et Plants (a local nursery producing tens of thousands of trees and shrubs annually from seed to mature plant at the Garat site, alongside a paysans seed bank). The technical foundation rests on permaculture principles, the Végétal local methodology for preserving local cultivated biodiversity, and participatory design approaches co-constructed with users.

The association is supported by approximately 100 volunteers, a 10-member board renewed annually, and a small salaried team of 7 led by legal representative Benjamin Durocher. It generates revenue from a diversified mix: annual memberships at €10 (tax-deductible since 2018 under d'intérêt général recognition), direct plant and seed sales with conscious pricing on seeds, OPCO-financed professional training delivered with Vers de Terre Production, and institutional funding from Grand Angoulême, Département de la Charente, Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Calitom, and the Académie de Poitiers. Customer segments span the general public, schools (~8 classes per year), local governments and municipalities across at least 13 communes, agricultural businesses, and landscape professionals, with geographic reach concentrated entirely within the Charente department.

Name

Les Compagnons du Végétal

Legal name

Les Compagnons du Végétal

Website

https://lescompagnonsduvegetal.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Les Compagnons du Végétal is a French nonprofit association founded in 2014 in Charente, operating a local tree nursery, paysans seed bank, and educational programs in permaculture, agroecology, and biodiversity for schools, municipalities, professionals, and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education & Ecological Restoration Services

NAICS

Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (11321), Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Landscaping Services (561730)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Educational Services (8200), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Native Species & Restoration Plant Nurseries (AFAMADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL), Agroforestry & Perennial Cropping Systems (EUABABAD), Biodiversity & Habitat Enhancement (Pollinator Strips, Buffer Zones, Riparian Restoration) (AFAGAMAG)

Keywords

• Environmental education services
• Permaculture landscape design
• Local plant nursery
• Biodiversity restoration services
• School garden programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Puymoyen

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership at 10€ per year, granting access to all workshops and animations. Recognized as 'd'intérêt général' since 2018, making donations tax-deductible (66% for individuals, 60% for companies).
2. Plant and seed sales: Part of nursery production and seed bank output is available for sale. Seeds are offered at 'prix libre et conscient' (conscious pricing).
3. Professional training: The association co-delivers 'Pépins et Compagnie' training (90 hours over 8 months) for professionals, certified Qualiopi and financed by OPCO.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Les Compagnons du Végétal is a nonprofit association that designs and delivers biodiversity and agroecology services in Charente: educational animations and structured school programs (Docteurs de Nature, Théâtre de la Biodiversité, Arbronaute), custom design and maintenance of edible gardens, orchards, forest gardens, hedges and ponds on public and shared lands, and the operation of a local tree/shrub nursery together with a peasant seed bank following the Végétal Local and permaculture methodologies. It also co-delivers the national Qualiopi-certified professional training Pépin & Compagnie with Vers de Terre Production.

Product overview

Les Compagnons du Végétal operates as a non-profit association offering three interconnected service pillars: (1) Animations & Ateliers providing educational workshops and custom programs for schools, professionals, and the general public; (2) Aménagements delivering landscape design and implementation of edible gardens, orchards, forest gardens, and biodiversity spaces; and (3) Semences et Plants encompassing a local plant nursery (Pépinière) producing trees and shrubs following Végétal Local principles and a seed bank (Banque de Graines Paysannes) preserving local cultivated biodiversity. The organization also runs structured school programs including Docteurs de Nature, Théâtre de la Biodiversité, and Arbronaute, along with the professional training program Pépin & Compagnie certified Qualiopi.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animations & Ateliers

Quantifiable outcome

• Several tens of thousands of plants produced annually from seed to mature tree
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grand AngoulêmecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal community partner providing funding and support for school programs and biodiversity initiatives, and co-producer of the short film 'Jardin Vivant'
• CalitomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWaste management organization (syndicats de collecte) in Charente, funding school programs and co-producer of the short film 'Jardin Vivant'
• Léa NaturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganic and natural products company, co-producer of the short film 'Jardin Vivant' with the association
• Région Nouvelle-AquitainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council providing institutional support and funding for the association's activities in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
• Département de la CharentecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartmental council funding the school pedagogical programs (8 classes per year benefit from structured programs)
• Académie de PoitiersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional education authority supporting the association's school programs and educational initiatives
• Vers de Terre ProductioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-porting partner for the national training program 'Pépins et Compagnie' dedicated to creating and developing local plant nurseries (90 hours over 8 months, Qualiopi certified)
• Gond-PontouvreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipality hosting the forest garden project and other biodiversity initiatives
• MouthiersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipality hosting plant swaps, wild plant walks, and hedge planting projects
• Espace MendesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting the association's activities

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Vers de Terre Production: Co-developer of the 'Pépins et Compagnie' national training program and a permaculture training/advisory organization. Comparable as a permaculture-focused educator and ecosystem partner.
• Conservatoire Botanique National Sud-Atlantique: Regional botanical conservatory covering Nouvelle-Aquitaine and responsible for plant conservation and flora inventory in the same geographic region. Comparable in native plant conservation mission and potential supplier/partner relationships.
• Végétal Local: National brand and methodology coordinated by the Fédération des Conservatoires Botaniques Nationaux certifying native plant origin. Les Compagnons du Végétal follows this methodology and is part of its certified nursery network.

Broad incumbents

• Botanic: Large French garden center chain offering organic plants, gardening products, and educational content. Comparable in retail plant offering and gardening education, though operating at much greater scale and commercial scope.

Direct peers

• Semailles: Belgian/French organic seed company focused on conservation of old and heritage varieties. Comparable in seed bank activity, organic certification, and biodiversity preservation mission.
• Graines de Troc: French seed exchange network operating a seed bank and community of 'gardians' for preserving peasant varieties. Highly comparable to Les Compagnons du Végétal's Banque de Graines Paysannes in mission, community-led model, and seed-saving activity.
• Kokopelli: French organic seed company specializing in heritage and peasant seed preservation and distribution. Comparable in biodiversity preservation mission and seed-based revenue model, though larger in scale and reach.
• La Ferme de Sainte-Marthe: French organic seed and plant producer offering heritage and organic varieties with educational resources. Comparable in organic plant/seed production and educational content offering for gardeners and farmers.
• Jardins de Noé: French association promoting biodiversity-friendly gardening through educational programs and a network of partner gardens. Comparable in nonprofit biodiversity education mission and school/public outreach.

Regional players

• Pépinière Naudet: Established French tree nursery producing bare-root seedlings and forest plants. Comparable in large-scale tree nursery activity, though operating at significantly greater commercial scale and national scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/lescompagnonsduvegetal
• Facebookfacebook.com/lescompagnonsduvegetal
• Instagraminstagram.com/lescompagnonsduvegetal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/les-compagnons-du-vegetal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Les Compagnons du Végétal