From olive oil to garrigue honey, the pretty baskets of Frontignan’s short circuits

Quentin, service civique et Nel DE Blick chargée de mission CPIE Bassin de Thau.

Today, four municipalities in the network each host a short circuit, these are the localities of Frontignan, Balaruc-le-Vieux, Montbazin and Poussan.

“In a short circuit, everyone knows what they are buying because there is no intermediary, it is direct from the earth to the plate”says Agathe. Every week, this market gardener delivers vegetables. She is part of a network of local producers who, once every seven days, every two weeks or every month, come to supply their customers with eggs, cheese, olive oil, Garrigue honey and meat. The shopping list is obviously not exhaustive. Such is the life of short-circuit consumers. As the end-of-year holidays approach, the trend would be to pre-order Christmas turkeys or chickens.

Online purchases

Gaëlle a consumer buys her food from Paniers de Thau an ordering site. What made her decide to get involved, she says, was “the spirit of conviviality that reigns between local producers, volunteers who run the short circuits and the inhabitants of the village served”. Agathe is one of the 61 producers of the Bassin de Thau. “It is the most important short circuit in the Hérault department”says Nel De Blick, with a baccalaureate in literature and a degree in art history in her pocket, she is now responsible for citizen mobilization at the Permanent Center for Environmental Initiatives, also known as CPIE Bassin de Thau. The structure based at 60 Boulevard Victor Hugo in Frontignan supports projects by local stakeholders. The CPIE is a partner in the local food project supported by the Bassin de Thau mixed union.

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Healthy food

Today, four municipalities in the network each host a short circuit. These are the towns of Frontignan, Balaruc-le-Vieux, Montbazin and Poussan. It is the magic square of these towns that are committed to local products. Gaëlle supports the Paniers de Thau “because they facilitate access to healthy food for all and based on quality local products” she declares. This network of local short food circuits is organized in the form of purchasing groups, including the one in Frontignan called Fronticourt.

Citizen initiative

“Basically, the Paniers de Thau short circuit is a citizen initiative”, explains Nel De Blick. And those who make their purchases there are part of a virtuous approach. “They are consumer”actors” emphasizes the project manager of the CPIE Bassin de Thau. Citizen volunteers are working to bring short circuits to life.

A citizen initiative

Basically, the Panier de Thau network is a citizen initiative. At first it was called the fish and shellfish basket. A small circuit was gradually set up. People contacted each other on a weekly basis. There was a delivery of products from the lagoon. In this group there was Annie Favier-Baron who became president of the association for the Bassin de Thau and Emilie Varraud who was the director of the CPIE Bassin de Thau. The fish and shellfish basket has grown.

The adventure began in 2008 when the association for the Thau basin was awarded the CPIE label, Permanent Center for Initiatives for the Environment (CPIE). The structure brings together resource people who support projects by local stakeholders. It can be communities. “It can be companies, in this case they are citizens” emphasizes Nel De Blick.

Food waste

The short circuit is an art of living and good living which consists of favoring the smallest possible distance between the producer and the consumers. Purchases are made on the internet. There is therefore no loss of time or food since the producers know how much they will sell since the orders have been made in advance on the website panierdethau.fr. There is no loss of time or food. The challenge is also the fight against food waste.