Les Jardins de Cocagne

Les Jardins de Cocagne is a French network of organic market gardens that integrates sustainable food production with social inclusion and employment support. Founded in 1991 in Besançon, the network has grown to encompass over a hundred gardens across France, each functioning as both an organic farm and a social integration enterprise. The gardens provide employment and professional training to people facing social and economic difficulties, including the long-term unemployed, giving them meaningful work in a supportive outdoor environment while learning organic farming skills. Each garden operates according to agroecological principles, producing a diverse range of seasonal organic vegetables that are distributed to subscribers through community-supported agriculture (CSA) schemes and local markets. This model creates direct connections between socially engaged food production and local consumers who value both ecological quality and social responsibility. Les Jardins de Cocagne advocates at the national level for policies that recognize and support the dual social and environmental mission of solidarity-based enterprises in the agricultural sector. The network provides member gardens with technical support, training, and shared tools, enabling consistent standards while allowing each garden to adapt to local conditions and community needs. It stands as a compelling model of how sustainable agriculture and social cohesion can reinforce each other.