Together, we go further. This is the conviction of Yves Jégo, former UDI deputy for Seine-et-Marne, founder in 2011 of the Origine France Garantie label and organizer of the Produce in France conference in 2015, with Arnaud Montebourg. For this promoter and expert of a made in France submerged over the years under a host of various names, bringing together all the regional collective brands (Produit en Bretagne, Saveur en’Or dans les Hauts-de-France, Je Vois la Vie en Vosges, Nou La Fé à la Réunion…) is part of industrial logic. Because it would strengthen their attractiveness, thanks to better visibility. “ Olivia Grégoire, Bruno Le Maire and Roland Lescure entrusted me with a voluntary mission in April to carry out an inventory, on a national scale, of labels of origin and marking devices relating to the origin or the brand France », Reveals the former parliamentarian, who left political life in 2018 to join a start-up that became a unicorn, NW.
Although Yves Jégo will only submit his report to the government in November, his tour of France has already allowed him to observe on the ground the (very) high abundance of local labels: “ There are almost a hundred of them. Many are subject to various checks and controls, but others are more “folkloric”. »
Lactalis against producers: the agri-food industry increasingly isolated
Role of European regions
His idea, presented at the Made in Aveyron show on September 27, consists of bringing together all the appellations with solid certification under a common umbrella. This federation of territorial brands would make it possible to better promote the Regions and departments, as well as their know-how and their places of production. The least recognized among them could also benefit from the expertise of those more prominent, such as Produits en Bretagne, an association founded in 1993, which today has nearly 500 companies, “ the most warrior of all » according to Yves Jégo.
The effectiveness of territorial brands for the companies concerned has been proven. “ We launched Made in Aveyron in 2010, says Arnaud Viala, also a former deputy and now president of the departmental council of Aveyron. Members must respect strict specifications and applications are submitted to a selection committee. It is an undeniable success for the attractiveness of the department, which is based on authenticity and quality. » Six hundred and fifty companies, VSEs and SMEs, have obtained the label, or more than 3,000 products, in multiple sectors, from cutlery to food, not forgetting furniture or perfumes.
« The current proliferation deserves to be organized and professionalized to become an economic tool of conquest and seriousness », Estimates Yves Jégo, for whom the development of the circular economy and the emotional dimension of local products among consumers justify this effort. “ All over Europehe adds, notably in Germany, Italy or Great Britain, the importance of regions is increasingly becoming more and more important alongside those of states. »
