2024-10-13 09:19:00
“All the fruits are at your disposal, on the earth and on the trees there is some leftover, I hope you will collect a bunch! » Emmanuel Dalle, farmer, does not need to wait any longer to start the pear harvest organized at his home, in Vergers de Saulty, near Arras (Pas-de-Calais). The practice of gleaning dates back to the Middle Ages. It consists of recovering fruit or vegetables after harvest that were not harvested by the producer. It must take place on the same day and with the owner’s agreement.
On this sunny Thursday morning, about fifteen volunteers are ready to harvest conference pears on the 20 hectares of plots dedicated to this autumn fruit: five employees of a company in Pas-de-Calais and volunteers and beneficiaries of Uthopia, a solidarity grocery store based in Frévent, not far from there.
70 million meals in eleven years
It is the Solaal association, specialized in food donations, which planned this collection: “We facilitate agricultural donations by acting as intermediaries between producers and associations”, explains Kim-Yen Nguyen Dai, head of donations at Solaal Hauts-de-France. Created in 2013, Solaal has saved 35,000 tonnes of food products in eleven years, of which 96% were fresh products, or the equivalent of 70 million meals.
Donations are constantly increasing because the association is now well known by farmers. “These gifts, precise Kim-Yen Nguyen, they depend on the weather because drought and floods have had a negative impact on some production. » In boots or sneakers, the gleaners walk the damp paths under the morning dew: “I knew how to glean, but only for potatoes,” confides Aurélie, who answered Uthopia’s call together with her 19-year-old daughter Lola.
“We know where our donations go”
This solidarity grocery store will collect the harvested pears. “Uthopia opened in March 2020, says Didier Binet, one of the founding members. The grocery store benefits 1,400 beneficiaries, mostly people who work but cannot make it to the end of the month. »
In recent years, gleaning has become more organized with intermediaries like Solaal: “We have always given but for a long time we have reaped the fruits ourselves, says Emmanuel Dalle, who has been using Solaal for several years. With them we know where the donations end up and we are sure that the gleaning takes place on plots already harvested. And then he cleans up our plots…”
Partner companies
The farmer turns to the association several times a year for direct donations, “especially when the products do not comply with standards”. Once the harvest is finished, you don’t have to stay and pick the remaining fruit or vegetables: “We often manage to find a partner association and the related support,” emphasizes the donation officer accustomed to managing this organization on a short-term basis. Especially because gleanings can also be organized with partner companies, as happens today.
Bent over in the middle of an aisle to evaluate the quality of the pears, Sandrine and Funda are employees of SIO, a company of the ADM group, world leader in animal nutrition. “Our company allows us to dedicate eight hours a year to volunteering and these hours are compensated by the company, explains Sandrine, happy to be outdoors and make herself useful. I already picked apples last year and I also participate in food bank drives. »
300 kilos on 5 hectares
Midday is approaching, the mercury reads 25°C. The pickers are hot but the result is there: around thirty boxes full of pears. “At a glance I would say we have 300 kg”, believes Didier Binet. This productive harvest will allow Uthopia to share pears with two other local solidarity grocery stores. However, the group “only” covered 5 hectares of the orchard.
“There are still many pears left, says Kim Yen. Emmanuel says you can come back early next week, and you can also pick apples. » A quick survey confirms that Utopia should be able to mobilize its hands again for the next gleaning. Pears, apples and great food solidarity.
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