Name : Tamara Miletic Organisation : Municipality of Verteneglio Place : Verteneglio , Croatia
Tamara mentored EPG members in the Verteneglio region of Croatia who were willing to start up a social enterprise to enhance their EPG ’ s sustainability and competitiveness . Although the social start up process and its methodological tools were warmly received and appreciated , an agreement on whether or not organic and non-organic producers could be members of the same social enterprise could not be reached . Thus the challenging dialogue between the organic and nonorganic producers continues .
During the mentor training , participants were encouraged to identify inspirational examples of EPGs and / or social enterprises so they can use these when they are implementing their training programmes . The following are the examples selected by the mentors trained on this programme .
Inspirational Example of a French Cooperative of Producers : Hop ' la
Hop ' la is a collective salepoint of farm products . Powered by a cooperative of 27 local producers , our direct sales store is characterized by a particular operation .
A cooperative
Producers are required to carry a minimum of permanence in the month and alternatively , in turn , the store manager . A producer can sell , advice and direct talk about his product to the consumer but it is also aware and concerned by the products of his colleagues . Favor the collective and the close relationship also means that the spirit of Hop ' la !
Beef , poultry , pork , fish , dairy products , fruits , vegetables , honey , herbs , flowers , cheese , mushrooms , wine , preserves , beer , oils , syrups , brandies , etc . Each producer offers different products , avoiding competition between them .
Pricing policy
The Hop ' la prices are equivalent to those on the other direct sales sites which most producers use ( markets , direct to the farm ). Each producer is responsible for their own profits and losses and ensures maintaining optimal value .
Hop ' la is primarily a collective . 12