Last January, Grands Moulins de Paris, a company of the VIVESCIA cooperative group, revealed its new brand platform, illustrated by a new graphic identity and a new signature: "a grain of audacity, a choice for the future". This was an opportunity for the company to reaffirm its fundamentals and, in addition to the gustatory pleasure offered by its products, to highlight three of its key commitments: transparency, truth and meaning. A will which is concretized in particular by the integration of the blockchain technology, available today on the Francine organic flour.
Changing expectations of all stakeholders in the food chain
If consumers' expectations regarding food have always been strong, their priorities have evolved along with the changes in the society in which we live. Today, the issues of trust and traceability are at the heart of these expectations and many (91%1) are demanding more transparency regarding food products.
" This expectation is all the more pronounced in an unprecedented and anxiety-provoking health context, where consumers need clear and accessible points of reference, and the truth," emphasizes Pierre Garcia, General Manager of Grands Moulins de Paris.
The need for transparency is also supported by the agri-food industry.
" Today, a climate of mistrust sometimes affects the actors of the sector, who nevertheless invest themselves without counting the cost on a daily basis and whose work is not always put forward at its true value. Making accessible and visible the commitment and know-how of partner farmers and more globally of all the links in the chain, offering consumers the opportunity to follow the path from fork to fork, becomes a beneficial choice for all," continues Pierre Garcia.
Blockchain technology at the service of the "À TABLE" approach
"At the table" is the name of Grands Moulins de Paris' CSR approach launched in 2019 on the occasion of its centenary. Looking to the future, this approach is based on 3 strong commitments to meet the aspirations of French consumers and guide Grands Moulins de Paris' actions towards a Responsible AlimenTAtion:
- Eat a balanced diet
- Improve the quality of life
- Contributing to a healthier future
The integration of blockchain technology is now fully contributing to this approach.
Traceability and promotion of know-how: Francine adopts blockchain technology for its organic flour
In partnership with Connecting Food, a French company ranked1st in the "Food safety and traceability"category2, Grands Moulins de Paris has therefore chosen to implement Blockchain technology for Francine organic flour. A QR Code makes the complete traceability of the product accessible to the consumer via a simple scan.
The principle is simple: scanning the QR code available on the front of each bag displays a webapp in which the consumer enters the batch number to reveal the complete and transparent traceability of the product, from the origin of the wheat used to the bagging of the flour.
The digital platform using blockchain technology plays the role of a third party transparency. It ensures the reliability of the value chain data and provides evidence of the brand promises displayed on the bag.
" Blockchain technology guarantees verified and unalterable data. It allows the traceability of our organic flour batch by batch, detailing the path of the product from the grain to the bagging of the flour. It also allows to highlight the respect of the specifications - wheat 100% originating from France, from an organic agriculture - and to value the commitment of our partner farmers through testimonial videos. Another advantage is that the webapp offers access to the Francine universe and, via a chatbot, recipe ideas to vary the pleasures" , explains Claire Madoré, marketing & e-business director and supermarket sales director at Grands Moulins de Paris.
About Grands Moulins de Paris :
For over 100 years, Grands Moulins de Paris has been selecting the best French wheat to produce quality flours and milling mixes. We mobilize men and women in the field, operational and passionate, who combine skills, know-how and expertise to accompany the success of our customers on a daily basis: artisanal bakeries, food industry, mass distribution and international. We promote French bakery know-how through our consumer brands Francine and Campaillette. We are proud to belong to 10,500 farmers in the North-East of France, owners of the VIVESCIA cooperative group, who cultivate grain with care.
About Connecting Food:
A French company founded in 2016 by two experts in the food industry, Connecting Food is the first blockchain platform in Europe exclusively dedicated to the food sector. Capable of ensuring real-time traceability of production chains and a digital audit of their specifications, the platform is now used by major players in the cooperative and industrial worlds alike. In 2021, the Connecting Food team will have 30 employees, based in Paris, France, and Milan, Italy.
1 Kantar Food 360° study - 2020
2 FoodTech 500 Ranking - January 2020
