FNCuma

Cuma are typically local cooperatives where farmers pool resources (machinery, labour, sheds, workshops…). These cooperatives are also a place to share experiences and spread new practices, they are very local economic players, championing the values of solidarity, helping to strike a balance between food and energy production, farmers and their families’ way of life, and rural communities... There is approximately 10,000 cooperatives gathering around 50% of french farmers.

The Cuma benefit from an integrated support network, called Reseau Cuma, made of 55 federations at all levels (national, departmental, interdepartmental, grouped together in regional federations).

At the national level, the head of that network, the Fédération nationale des cuma, represents cuma and farmers from all over France. It articulates and voices their demands to national authorities. 

The FNCuma:

• Represents and advocates for the interests of the Cuma,

• Provides advice and technical, economic and legal support,

• Facilitates change through training,

• Organizes demonstrations, experiments and tests with the manufacturers/dealers,

• Provides IT and management tools specifically tailored to Cuma’s activities,

• Drives projects to develop new cooperative forms of organisation that meet the organizational and functional needs of innovative territorial projects.

Through Reseau Cuma's mission of supporting the cuma, there are key activities that can be critical in a Horizon Europe project such as :

• Organise of on-farm tests to benchmark agricultural equipment and practices

• Propose demonstrations and events around innovative equipment and practices

• Implement training and learning session with expertise or/and through peer-to-peer learning

• Support a group of farmers/cuma to help them develop a new practice or tool through animation in the fields of agroecology, energy, innovation...