“In two days, you changed the destiny and prospects of my farm”, writes Antoine Foulu-Mion under the publication of his online prize pool. Thanks to strong media coverage, the 44-year-old organic farmer collected nearly 79,000 euros in donations sent by more than 2,700 people. On the morning of March 15, he received a first payment of 50,000 euros. “My banker won’t believe his eyes”he laughs, happy to finally be able to repay his 22,000 euros of debt…
For two years, Mr. Foulu-Mion has suffered from the crisis of organic products, perceived as too expensive by consumers during a period of inflation. “I found myself with tons of products on my hands and no one to buy them. I was forced to go into debtsays the Isère farmer. This collection was an act of desperation that ultimately saved my life. »
The case is not isolated. If, when they were created, online prize pools were mostly used to collectively finance gifts, trips, personal initiatives or starting prizes, the profile of the projects financed has gradually changed.
From now on, it is also about saving a farm, a business or even paying rent arrears, or even the shopping of hard-pressed citizens. The loss of purchasing power of the French, the health and inflationary crises have been there. The good plan between friends or colleagues has turned into a social safety net.
The phenomenon is reflected in the figures. Over the past five years, one in four French people have called on solidarity to financially meet their needs, according to the Generosity Observatory of the Odoxa Institute for Leetchi. “In 2023, solidarity prize pools represented 25% of the amounts collected on our platform, or 60 million euros”, underlines Amandine Plas, marketing director at Leetchi. And the weight of this solidarity financing is growing: “Their number increased by 13% between 2022 and 2023” on the platform, specifies Mme Plas.
“Left abandoned by the bankers”
However, not all prize pools manage to take off like that of Antoine Foulu-Mion. Another farmer, Victor Bonnot, also a victim of the lack of interest in organic farming, launched his quest for donations two months ago. “I lost 50% of my customers”, he laments. He has 40,000 euros of debt. However, his online collection, which today brings together 4,400 euros, will only be used to pay his two employees at the minimum wage. Nothing else.
“Today, I maintain their pay by sacrificing mine. Over the entire year of 2023, I only paid myself 6,000 euros”, indicates the breeder from Saône-et-Loire. Mr. Bonnot is now in the middle of negotiating a postponement of the maturity of his loans with his bank. “Until now, I have been abandoned by the bankers”he regrets, not very confident in the idea of an outcome in his favor.
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