This Saturday, October 16 is the national day 10 million tons of food end up in the trash every year. And Lucas lefebvre intends to reduce these losses.
This HEC graduate, who left a comfortable job within the ESV Digital agency, to found La Fourche with two former school friends, Nathan Labat and Boris Meton, has just launched an “anti-waste” offer.
On its organic product sales platform, its 50,000 members can now buy coral lentils deemed too yellow by traditional distributors at discounted prices, jams with outdated packaging or cookies with a short durability date. So much food collected from farmers, producers and processors because 50% of the waste occurs before the products even arrive in a distribution channel.
Organic for all
But that’s not the 34-year-old entrepreneur’s only hobbyhorse. When he got launched in 2018, Lucas Lefebvre had one objective: to have an impact on the environment and social inequalities. “I didn’t see myself trying to sell a non-essential product to people, so I quickly turned to food,” he explains.
For six months, he worked alone in his corner looking for ideas to start a business. Curious by nature, he goes through a number of studies – changes in consumption, market analyzes, etc. – before refining his project. Surrounded by his current associates, he finally opts for a model of selling organic products online with a subscription system, drawing inspiration from initiatives seen in the United States. “It was THE solution to make organic products as accessible as possible: offering prices 30% cheaper on average than in traditional distribution in exchange for the loyalty of our members,” he says.
Green committed
With La Fourche and its 130 employees, Lucas Lefebvre has the feeling of finally participating in a cause that he has closely followed since adolescence. The click? The rather accidental discovery of a WWF report on climate change, while he was looking for an idea for a presentation for the college.
“Today, young people – including in high schools – feel more and more concerned by the future of the planet,” he says. They sign petitions not to work in companies not committed to the path of ecological transition, integrate appropriate courses… But, in my time, that was not the case. I had the feeling of being a weirdo, arrived from my province with my green ideas and my desire not to follow a clear career ”, he confides.
Vegetarian, this fan of outdoor sports has gradually reduced his lifestyle in accordance with the values he defends. “He always travels by bike, dresses in thrift stores and buys almost everything second-hand,” confirms Cyrielle Callot, a long-time friend. And he does not miss an opportunity to debate ecology and make his ideas known. “
Change the system
However, it is on the professional front that he intends to move the lines. “Responsible consumption is, in my opinion, a powerful lever to push for the transition. And we must allow as many people as possible to access it. Acting with 10% of the richest does not make sense. “
After having participated in several climate marches and in the design of the eco-score – a tool to know the environmental impact of food products tested in France since January -, he wants to make La Fourche a key player in organic … and gain ground in mass distribution, which accounts for more than half of organic purchases by French households. “From the start, we have been targeting large and medium-sized stores,” he admits. Many distort organic products with labels emptied of their substance and pressure on producers. “
It is on the right track: 80% of its members were regulars in supermarkets who wanted to change their habits.
