Editor’s Note
This article introduces the inaugural “Le goût en couleurs” festival in Lille, a two-day public event aimed at promoting fresh produce and fostering connections within the regional food industry.
The first edition of the “Le goût en couleurs” festival, organized by the Interfel regional committee of Hauts-de-France, will take place on September 30 and October 1 at the Euralimentaire wholesale market in Lomme, Lille. The objective of such an event is twofold: on one hand, to take concrete action with the general public to boost the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, and on the other hand, to strengthen the links between the different players in the northern sector.
Organized by the Interfel regional committee, this event features a rich program of activities and meetings. These will be organized into several themed paths. For example, the one titled “on the road to the future” will focus on presenting the different modes of fruit and vegetable production in the region, promoting the region’s SIQO (Signes d’Identification de la Qualité et de l’Origine – Quality and Origin Identification Labels), and also highlighting ongoing research, experimentation, and innovation work: eight Euralimentaire startups will exhibit alongside Bio en Hauts-de-France, CTIFL and Aprifel, the Interfel OpenLab, and the Légumes Région Nord cluster, among others. Another path will be dedicated to employment to bring together young people, job seekers, and companies.
The company village will be a dedicated space for economic players in the sector to present their know-how, products, and innovations to visitors. It also aims to highlight companies other than those in the wholesale market (which will be open for the 2 days) and is intended to be representative of the fresh fruit and vegetable sector.
From this perspective, the event has been convincing: distributors (Intermarché, Auchan, Match), production or shipping companies (Negonor, Champs de Légumes, Perle du Nord, Fruits Rouges and Co, Natur’Coop, Wostin’, Bayard, Maraîchers des Hauts-de-France, Fruidor), wholesalers (Ribégroupe, Pomona) but also associations like Demain la Terre or les Vergers écoresponsables en Hauts-de-France have responded positively to the invitation. It is also worth noting that Belgian neighbors BelOrta and REO Veiling will also be present.
A new class of 12 young greengrocers will attempt to obtain the prestigious title of “One of the Best Apprentices of France” in the Greengrocer category on Friday, September 30. Supervised by Brigitte Delanghe, Meilleur Ouvrier de France Greengrocer and former president of MAF Hauts-de-France, the final will take place this year as part of the event.
For over 4 hours, the apprentices will be judged on all facets of the trade, from knowledge of fruits and vegetables, to customer relations, creativity, and current trends such as fresh-cut produce or anti-waste.
Xavier Martin, CEO of Lagache
Yves Mustel, CEO of Sital
On Saturday, October 1, the Lille market will exceptionally open its doors to the general public. The now well-known Interfel Food Truck will offer tastings, smoothie bikes, photobooths, quizzes… Four Interfel dietitians will also be present. Several activities are also planned, as well as meetings with professionals. For example, arboriculturists from Vergers Ecoresponsables des Hauts-de-France will meet the public; eco-citizen actions will be presented by the association “C’est un truck de foo’d”.
Furthermore, on the same day, visitors can enjoy a “market within the market” to do some fruit and vegetable shopping. This activity will be organized by L’Ecole des Marchés, an association whose goal is to help children, teenagers, and parents discover (or rediscover) the diversity and seasonality of fresh market products. It should be noted that unsold items will be redistributed to a local charitable association via SOLAAL Hauts-de-France.
