At the time the fair trade was little known

Seeing the land from Laos, ignite for a new chocolate, who could believe that Tristan Lecomte is being designated "Time magazine" as one of the 100 most influential personalities of the world Who could believe that its success, Alter Eco, began a failure However, it took the strength of conviction of Tristan to Alter Eco fair trade pioneer in large-scale distribution.

The spark "It was in 1998." "I worked for l ' Oréal and I do not myself in my work values," he recalled. At the time, the fair trade was little known. "His notoriety rate was about 5, compared to 90 today." With my experience, I thought able to get out of its ghetto, with more professionalism, particularly in marketing.

Alter Eco therefore will come in the form of a Parisian boutique where Tristan offers food products and handicrafts fair. "It was a financial failure." A trade, this can be very difficult, especially in Paris, where the financial pressure is enormous. Sales were not at the meeting. On the other hand, I saw rise to a genuine aspiration of the public and the media for this sector. "In 2001, Tristan Lecomte therefore closes shop, but already in cartons an ambitious project but solid excerpt from his"failure": to bring a range of fair trade products in large-area. The debate is heated in the sector: working with the large distribution, the cantors of fair trade, this is not possible.

15 million euros of revenue

Not for Tristan: "that this trade develops, it absolutely the popularize." If you want to change the system, be of the Interior. "A bold bet, but that signs, first Monoprix and Cora:" this has not been "difficult" strictly speaking, in any case less than today ' today because at the time we were the only actor to propose a transverse range with 13 products. " We were at the beginning of the development of fair trade in large distribution. There was therefore no room for this type of project. Today, the DSD, industrialists, all invest fair trade sector and it would be more difficult to introduce us to them.

Today, Alter Eco, is 15 million euros of turnover, hundreds of food products and 14 of market share. Three million euros of turnover are even made in the United States and the Canada with 1,800 points of sale. "In the US, the market is underdeveloped but the potential is enormous." Then, Alter Eco has yet a master-stroke by including reference in Whole Foods, main bio chain in the United States. It is also, and before any producer 167.000 that 18 of the average final price shall be returned.

Indeed, one of the challenges in this sector, it is the "sourcing", i.e. the supply. "For ten years, I was on the ground a week on two in Africa, Asia, Latin America.". To find products offering maximum guarantees of fair remuneration of producers while having a quality, I I am based on the international fair trade Federation and the label Max Havelaar.

Field audit

In parallel, Alter Eco develops its own auditing tools to streamline the process, "even though the human contacts with producers are capital". In the interests of transparency, Tristan has even found the lab trade fair, where you can find examples of audit field. Because the risk is: "Yes, with the development of the market, the danger is great for pulling down the quality of controls and thus impair the spirit of fair trade."

His final challenge Pure Project, a collective accompany companies in their approach to assessment and reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases, via reforestation programs especially.