The Food Assembly (La Ruche qui dit Oui)
Aggregator marketplace for farmer products
Description
The Food Assembly is an online marketplace for local food hubs, distributing products from farmers. The Food Assembly’s operational model revolves around local collection points, i.e. Assembly locations. Producers remain autonomous: they choose the collection point they want to supply to, they decide what to offer each week, set their own prices, and can define minimum order thresholds. Consumers place orders during a fixed online ordering window for a particular collection point. If a producer’s minimum order amount is not reached and delivery does not happen, buyers are reimbursed according to the platform’s rules. Distribution occurs during a short, predefined pick-up slot at the Assembly location. The design of the model emphasises face-to-face exchange (a “pop-up market” feel), but who physically hands over products can vary in practice by Assembly and producer arrangements. Some of Assembly hosts even offer door-step delivery to the consumers, charged at extra fee.
Technology
The marketplace is based on a web-based app. Consumers discover nearby collection points via a location-based map, register and log in to a personalised account, and place orders through a shared basket with integrated online payment. Each collection point functions as a host-operated digital storefront, presenting local pickup details and the weekly offer, while producers are visible through profiles within that local food hub/ collection point.
Target
The main users of The Food Assembly are farmers and food consumers. The platform is also used by the food hubs, or Assemblies to promote and sell farmers’ products.
Business model
To cover the operational costs, the aggregator charges a service fee of 18.35 percent on the net turnover of producers’ sales. From this fee: i) 8.10 percent goes to the aggregator, ii) 1.90 percent covers payment provider fees, and iii) 8.35 percent is allocated to the local Assembly host for organising and running the weekly distribution point. After deduction of these service fees, producers retain 81.65 percent of the sales price (before taxes).
Impact
As of January 2026, The Food Assembly has been implemented across seven European countries, with over 1500 collection points across those markets. The network involves around 10 000 producers supplying local food through the platform, with approximately 160 000 members buying regularly in Food Assemblies. The average distance travelled by food to reach the collection point - across the markets - is 49 kilometres, in comparison to thousands of kilometres of food miles for supermarket bought produce.
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