Cooperative Activities
We generate value for Limagrain members by achieving operational excellence and creating new farming activities.
Our identity
Limagrain Group’s parent company is a cooperative of nearly 1,300 farmer members based in the Limagne-Val d'Allier plain, in the heart of the Auvergne, in central France. To complement our legacy and strategic businesses—producing field and vegetable seeds and growing crops for our unique agri-food chain activities—we have diversified into adjacent markets.
Wheat
Corn
Sunflower
Field Seeds
Vegetable Seeds
Winegrowing
The Limagrain farming cooperative is a collective organization that serves the member farmers of France’s Limagne-Val d'Allier plain. It aims to give each member the resources they need to develop a robust, sustainable farming operation. As part of this mission, we look for ways to create value and find buyers for members’ crops.
The Cooperative’s 1,300 members grow the crops that, among other things, supply the Group’s agri-food chain and seed production businesses. Limagrain processes their output to supply part of its client base.
The Cooperative now goes beyond its original purpose of improving its members’ income. It also helps them tackle today’s major agricultural challenges: managing water resources, reducing carbon footprints, preserving biodiversity, and encouraging a new generation of farmers into the sector.
The advantages of Limagrain Cooperative membership
All of our members, regardless of the size of their farm or stake in the Cooperative, are shareholders and have a say in decision-making thanks to our democratic system of 1 person, 1 vote.
That means members actively participate in Limagrain’s cooperative governance and help its Board of Directors set development priorities and strategic directions.
Cooperation is part of our culture, and by pooling our resources, we amplify our strengths. What we want is long-term growth for both our Group and our own farming operations.
Our farming consultants and seed technicians help transmit Limagrain’s agronomic expertise to members.
We contribute solutions based on field trial results, decision-making software, and input from our agronomists. Our solutions ensure the productivity and longevity of the farms in the Limagne-Val d'Allier region and address societal, environmental, and regulatory issues.
Our profession is all about patience and perseverance. For example, climate change and new regulations mean we have to adapt constantly to make sure our farms still exist in the future.
We aim to create a resilient agricultural sector in the Limagne region that generates value for our members. We do this by leveraging Limagrain’s operational excellence, developing our employees’ skills, and pioneering new farming activities to:
- Ensure a secure future for our members and employees and boost their skills.
- Diversify the range of crops our members produce.
- Increase and sustain the water resources available for irrigation.
- Develop resilient farming practices that increase soil fertility, nutrient reserves and carbon storage.
- Upgrade our equipment and facilities for grain and seed harvesting, storage and processing, to boost the performance of both members’ farms and our own businesses.
- Expand our regional presence by developing our winegrowing and Gamm Vert businesses.
Presence in our home region
Wholesale distribution of farm products
Limagrain subsidiary Tardif Tivagrain is a wholesale distributor of cereal and oilseed crops for animal feed. Its customers are livestock farmers in the Limagne-Val d’Allier region. At every stage of their production process, they receive agronomic, technical, and business support from livestock farming consultants.
Desprat-Saint-Verny
Winegrowers and winemakers join forces at Desprat-Saint-Verny, which develops the volcanic wines of the Auvergne region. The winegrowers produce the Gamay, Pinot noir, and Chardonnay grape varieties under the AOP and IGP labels guaranteeing place of origin. They deliver their grapes to this winemaking cooperative, which transforms them into Côtes d’Auvergne red, rosé, and white wines. Desprat-Saint-Verny offers a wide range of volcanic wines to thrill every palate.
Gamm vert garden centers
The Cooperative owns five Gamm Vert shops in our home region (in Issoire, Cournon d'Auvergne, Malauzat, Ambert, and Saint-Eloy-Les-Mines). They benefit from the strength of the Gamm Vert brand, France’s leading network of local garden centers. They are a natural venue for sharing our know-how. Our shops specialize in gardening products and pet food. They also sell clothing and footwear, outdoor furnishings, and regional food specialties.