Re-Belle - France

Committed to creating jobs for people in difficult social or professional situations

Re-Belle helps to create jobs for people in social or professional difficulty. Based in Seine-Saint-Denis, the association provides social and professional integration for people on the margins of employment through the development of an alternative production method that combats food waste.

Addressing the urgent need to create jobs and support people into employment

The Re-Belle association started from two observations: the socio-economic situation of many women in Seine-Saint-Denis is deplorable and food waste is on the increase. In this, the poorest département in the Ile-de-France region, 49% of women in inner-city areas live below the poverty line. The association has therefore chosen to focus on women in precarious economic and social situations, whether this is linked to unemployment, insecure employment or single parenthood.

Re-Belle also provides social support and helps to build the self-confidence of people in precarious situations and those furthest from employment. The association has forged a link between these socio-economic issues and food waste. Noting that 45% of fruit and vegetables from local producers are thrown away every year, it has developed a back-to-work scheme that recycles unsold fruit and vegetables into jams and chutneys. In this way, the association has saved more than 150 tonnes of fruits and vegetables from going off the market, and produced no fewer than 300,000 jars of jam.

The Re-Belle association had 15 employees in 2021. This number was planned to rise to 20 employees at the beginning of 2022, and should reach 30 employees by the beginning of 2024.

Socially and professionally integrating people who are far from employment in Seine-Saint-Denis

In order to achieve social and professional inclusion for people in Seine-Saint-Denis who are far from employment, the Re-Belle association has three objectives:

To train and support an additional 5 people in very precarious situations into employment from the first quarter of 2022 and double its total workforce by 2024, i.e. 40 people supported each year,
Enable people who are far from employment to regain their self-confidence through high-quality individual socio-professional and social support,
Strengthen the confidence and pride of employees on integration programmes in their contribution to the development of an alternative production method, by saving 50 to 100 tonsof unsold fruits and vegetables a year from 2025.

70 employees supported (since 2017), 63% of whom are RSA recipients and 50% of whom are in long-term unemployment

2,000 jars of jam produced per week 150 tonnes of unsold fruit and vegetables saved

Social and professional inclusion through the recycling of unsold fruit and vegetables

The production of jams and chutneys enables the association to provide training and socio-professional support for people who are far from employment opportunities in Seine-Saint-Denis. This activity develops skills that are essential in the catering trades. 24 employees currently work in the Re-Belle kitchens, with vocational training provided by two technical supervisors who ensure that they are supported right through to employment.

Global support enables each employee to benefit from a personalized training and workshop program. Communication skills are reinforced during weekly reviews and collaborative intelligence sessions organized 2 or 3 times a year with the whole team.

The recycling of unsold fruits and vegetables, combined with the sale of jams and other anti-gaspi products, has enabled Re-Belleto save over 150 tons of fruits out of circulation and to sell no less than 300,000 jars of jam in over 100 stores. The original, gourmet recipes are adapted to available fruits and vegetable stocks, to limit waste.

What the Air Liquide Foundation supports

The Air Liquide Foundation's donation will enable the association to invest in new equipment to increase its production capacity, with the aim of recruiting and supporting 5 new employees by September 2022. The new equipment includes a 120 L tilting frying pan and a cooling cell.

Re-Belle se démarque par son action socialement responsable en Seine St Denis, mais aussi par son action économique. L’association s’intègre dans un mouvement plus global d’économie sociale et solidaire en associant l’insertion professionnelle de personnes éloignées de l’emploi avec un atelier de production visant à lutter contre le gaspillage alimentaire.

Line Rosset, Market Manager Food & Pharma - South West Europe

Confiturerebelle

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