La Poste group and French Association of Chambers of Agriculture help farmers to switch to e-commerce to sustain the vitality of rural areas

Switching to e-commerce to boost growth for farmers

By turning to e-commerce, farmers can create a showcase for their farm produce and support their business by expanding their customer base to include both private individuals and professionals. Pourdebon.com, a subsidiary of Geopost (Le Groupe La Poste), is helping farmers to embrace this digital transition, with a simple, fast service that not only gives farmers visibility, but also includes order taking, transport of farm produce by Chronofresh and payment management, to ensure that producers are paid a fair price. Since its inception at the end of 2016, Pourdebon.com has delivered over a million orders from farmers, fishermen, market gardeners, winegrowers and craftsmen to offer fresh, seasonal produce.

Strengthening local ties and developing short supply chains

For several years now, direct sales and short distribution channels have been a growing consumer trend. The 2025 barometer* shows that 2 out of 3 respondents say they consume products in this way at least once a month, 6 points more than in 2023.

Since the partnership agreement between the French Chambers of Agriculture and Le Groupe La Poste was signed in February 2024, the first services have been rolled out to the network of Bienvenue à la Ferme members. Nearly 80 of them have used Chronofresh's farm produce transport service and more than 2,000 parcels have been sent. Meat, foie gras, fish and even vegetable juice have all found new outlets.

In terms of local services in rural areas, 4 farms (3 in Eure and 1 in Haute Garonne) are hosting a La Poste pick-up point for a 6-month trial, and 5 farms are offering parcel drop-off and pick-up services in the form of Pickup pick-up points. These services are set to expand over the coming months, and will be bolstered by the new partnership with Pourdebon.com.

*Pourdebon 2025 short supply chain barometer

Philippe Wahl, Chairman and CEO of Le Groupe La Poste, said:

"La Poste wants to support the transition to agriculture so that it is economically viable, socially responsible, fair for farmers, healthy for consumers and respectful of the environment. As a reflection of its commitment to serving agricultural professionals and the rural world, The Group La Poste is pleased to be present, alongside its partner Chambres d’Agriculture France, at the 2025  Salon International de l'Agriculture.”

Sébastien Windsor, Chairman of the French Chambers of Agriculture, said:

"The Chambers of Agriculture help farmers to find new outlets for their produce, particularly through direct sales. Consumers need easy access to products without having to travel. The partnership with La Poste offers solutions that include transport, crates to access the product, and software that allows the consumer to see and buy. And we also need a sovereign partner to develop all this, rooted in the rural world. Le Groupe La Poste is the best partner for this. The Chambers of Agriculture and The Groupe La Poste are looking forward to meeting you at the Salon de l'Agriculture to accelerate our partnership."

At the Salon de l'agriculture, to be held from 22 February to 2 March 2025 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, La Poste will be presenting on its stand [Pavillon 4, stand F 065]:

• its coverage of rural areas

• its tools to benefit local areas

• the acceleration of the ecological transition, thanks to logistics that are ever more respectful of the environment.

• the digital support available to elected representatives and agricultural professionals, to meet the challenges of a sector undergoing rapid change.

The French Chambers of Agriculture will also be exhibiting in Pavilion 4 - stand CDAF B90.

Like every year, the Chambers of Agriculture will have a prominent presence in various locations, including Halls 3, 5 and 7.1, where the regional Chambers and their promotional committees will be coordinating 12,000 m² dedicated to the gastronomy of our regions, as well as Hall 4 (stand B90), where an institutional Chambers of Agriculture stand will give the general public and professionals the opportunity to talk to elected representatives and staff, take part in activities and take part in quizzes...

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About Le Groupe La Poste:

La Poste is a public limited company, a subsidiary of Caisse des Dépôts and the French State. La Poste Groupe is divided into four business units: Services-Mail-Parcels, Retail Customers and Digital Services, Geopost and La Banque Postale, which, with its subsidiary CNP Assurances, is the 11th largest European banking and insurance company. Le Groupe La Poste has four public service missions that form its identity: universal postal service, regional planning and development, banking accessibility, and press transport and delivery. Le Groupe La Poste is dedicated to its local presence and relies on a delivery network of over 35,600 outlets, including 17,300 contact points (post offices, local post offices, retail outlets) and 18,300 postal service access points (Pickup, carrés pros, lockers and drive parcel collection points). It delivers over 17 billion items per year worldwide (letters, ad mail and parcels), 6 days a week. In 2022, it achieved a turnover of 35.4 billion euros, 44% of which was generated internationally, and employed 238,000 people in over 60 countries on 5 continents, including 184,000 in France. As a mission-driven company since June 2021, a leader in environmental transition and sustainable finance, the group is aiming to achieve “zero net emissions” by 2040.

About Pourdebon:

Pourdebon.com is a fresh produce and delicatessen marketplace that delivers quality products direct to your door from the best French producers. Co-founded by Nicolas Machard and Cyril Schwartz in 2016, Pourdebon.com is now part of Geopost (Le Groupe La Poste) which enables it to deliver dry, fresh and frozen products, anywhere in France, to almost 30,000 products from 800 farmers and artisans. Pourdebon.com is keen to promote its producers, and in response to the growing interest among the French in direct, short-distance sales, it has met with real success after 8 years in business. In 2024, it passed the million mark in orders placed on its site since its creation www.pourdebon.com

About the French Chambers of Agriculture:

Boosting agricultural and regional development with the French Chambers of Agriculture. The French Chambers of Agriculture, founded in 1924, are public bodies run by elected representatives. They represent all those involved in agriculture, rural development and forestry: farmers, landowners, employees, trade associations, etc. The French Chambers of Agriculture network has three missions, set out in the French Rural Code and amended by the Future of Agriculture Act of 13 October 2014:

• Help improve the economic, social and environmental performance of farms and their supply chains

• Support farmers' entrepreneurial and responsible approach in the regions, as well as business creation and job development

• Represent farmers in dealings with the public authorities and local communities

Operating at departmental, regional and national level, the French Chambers of Agriculture are made up of 4,200 elected representatives and employ over 8,000 people.

About Bienvenue à la Ferme:

Founded in 1988 by the Chambers of Agriculture, the Bienvenue à la Ferme brand supports more than 10,000 farmers across France. Sharing the “Ici, vous êtes bienvenus” values in terms of welcome and sociability, members open their doors to the general public, who can do their shopping, enjoy a warm meal, stay in a gîte or bed and breakfast, or find out more about the work of farmers. Bienvenue à la Ferme promotes the wealth of French agriculture, offers the chance to ‘eat farmhouse’ with local, seasonal produce, and extends the farm experience through agritourism activities. For farmers, Bienvenue à la ferme is above all a network of solidarity, enabling them to share with visitors the values they hold dear: listening, discovery, authenticity, the quality and taste of products, responsible practices and a passion for bringing their region to life.