Social economy employs 58,000 people throughout Lower Normandy, in a wide variety of sectors. Representing a consequential share of the region’s economy. But who are these entrepreneurs?

Even if current ecological and social issues have placed it in the limelight, social economy is by no means a novelty. The concept reunites companies, the particularity of which is that they place Man and his fulfilment at the heart of their projects. With this aim in mind, they abide by a decision-making process not based on capital property, but an investment policy that reinjects profit to serve projects. Thus, most of them have opted for an associative, cooperative or mutual status. “As for any business, they must, of course, have a viable long-term economic project. They create wealth and employment,” explains Damien Restous, Project Coordinator for the Regional Chamber of Social Economy (CRESS).

Extremely different fields

Lower Normandy’s 4,000 businesses having adopted this economy are behind over 58,000 jobs. And although they are all governed by common values, their great diversity is also quite characteristic. A vast selection of such companies can be consulted on the website www.touteneco.fr ⁽¹⁾, the aim of which is to disseminate and promote information on sustainable development, environment and ecology. For example, CoopaCambio. Created in April 2007, this organic cooperative operates according to a cooperative model. “Each member family must come to the cooperative, one hour every month, to contribute towards its smooth running, by helping to label, shelf, package…” explains Mathilde Alexandre, the former teacher behind the project. “Such contributions create genuine gateways for human exchange. CoopaCambio is not only a trade outlet, it’s also a meeting place.” So what motivated her? offering a maximum number of families access to products from eco-friendly farming and fair trade. “In order to do so, our margins are very low, never in excess of 15%, and the participation from our members is also a valuable contribution,” she goes on to explain.

Certain social economy activities have been conducted in Lower Normandy for many years now. It’s the case, for example, of the “Bon Séjour La Plage” holiday village in Merville-Franceville. The association behind the village is a member of the Ethique Etape network. The network reunites establishments with no profit-making aim. “The holiday village was created in Cabourg in the 1950s. At the time it welcomed labourers’ families. Everyone took part in cooking and day-to-day chores,” explains Hélène Mathieu, the site’s assistant manager. The village was moved to Merville-Franceville in 1986. Today, it operates like an ordinary holiday village, offering accommodation, catering and leisure activities throughout the summer. The general spirit is still very convivial and, in the dining room, clients mingle and chat together. Within the same economy, there are banks such as the Crédit Mutuel or the Nef (ethical finance bank), together with companies taken over by their employees in the form of SCOP (Cooperative and Participative Companies)… “Social economy activities have been developing over the past years in the service sector or, more generally, in all fields associated with sustainable development: locally produced market gardening, eco-construction, clean transport, short-range agriculture…” Social economy reunites a great diversity, with as many sectors of activity as methods for implementing its characteristic values.

(1) Touteneco benefits from support from the Lower Normandy Regional Council, the Caen Town Council and the Crédit Agricole bank.

Damien Restoux

Chambre Régionale de l’Economie Sociale et Solidaire (Regional Chamber of Social Economy) 02.31.06.09.23

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