Our solidarity cooperative
A tribute to a unique territory and to the shared flavors of life
More than a cooperative, the union between Men and Nature to create an authentic, natural salt of origin. A tribute to a unique territory and to the shared flavors of life.
The Cooperative a shared vision
Le Guérandais cooperative is founded on strong values of mutual aid, equality, fairness and solidarity. It unites passionate men and women, driven by a common goal and vision: to perpetuate and promote Guérande salt throughout the world and over the years.
The cooperative's members elect their Board of Directors at a General Meeting. Organized into specific commissions, the Board of Directors works alongside the General Manager and all employees for the development of the cooperative.
Currently made up of 14 directors under the presidency of Charlotte Le Feuvre, the Board of Directors acts as the representative of the 220 salt workers.
The cooperative currently employs 75 employees, under the management of Laurent Seriat.
Our 36-year-old cooperative is the rich heir to a history, where the survival of Guérande's salt workers, in the face of salt corporations, fighting to protect the marshes and its environment from mass tourism by perpetuating artisanal salt farming, is central.
For centuries, Guérande salt has made the peninsula rich. The cooperative has helped develop its reputation and redistribute its value to its members.
Today's members of the cooperative are the heirs to these victories, never fully won, and it's up to them to write the future, with the certainty that together we're stronger!
Chairman of the Board
Le Guérandais was born of the desire of men and women to nurture a territory, an age-old know-how, an environment and its biodiversity, within the framework of a French industry, to give the greatest number of us here and around the world, access to an exceptional product
.
Cooperative General Manager
Our organization
The cooperative : a collective goal
Throughout the year, the member salt farmers, the Le Guérandais brand, and its subsidiary Terre de Sel combine their expertise and work hand in hand to sustain the cooperative.
Member salt workers
220 member salt workers
Every summer, the members pool their harvests. This ensures them income stability while guaranteeing a regular supply to the Cooperative's customers.
16%
women
84%
men
Over the past 20 years, the number of salt marshes in operation has increased by 20%
Average age
46 years
The Le Guérandais cooperative
La coopérative Le Guérandais est incarnée par 220 adhérents paludiers.
Cette coopérative inclut à la fois sa marque Le Guérandais et sa filiale Terre de Sel.
Tout au long de l’année, adhérents et salariés travaillent de concert dans le but de produire, de faire connaître et de faire perdurer un sel d’origine authentique et naturel.
The brand
75 employees
The Le Guérandais brand embodies the values and commitments of the Cooperative. It allows offering consumers quality salts harvested by hand by the member salt workers.
Leader in origin-specific salts
2nd national brand
in the salt market *
*Source CIRCANA PDM value HMSM CAM P6 2024
An international presence
in more than 55 countries including Europe, Asia, and America
Distribution networks :
Supermarkets
RHD
Export
Terre de Sel
Find our products also in our subsidiary Terre de Sel, in the heart of the salt marshes.
Terre de Sel
15 employees
A subsidiary of the Cooperative, Terre de Sel invites the public to discover, in the heart of the salt marshes, the millennia-old history of salt harvesting.
+ 30 different tours
More than 70,000 visitors per year discover the Guérande salt marshes with professionals including salt workers and naturalist guides.
Shop and exhibition
7 days a week, year-round
A shop that features the entire range of Le Guérandais salts, as well as high-quality local products.
An exhibition dedicated to the discovery of salt marshes and salt.
A cooperative and a brand with strong commitments
In order to defend their salt against the might of industrial salts, and their marshes against the greed of real estate developers, a group of passionate salt workers joined forces in the 70s and created an Agricultural Cooperative in 1988: the Guérande Salt Cooperative.
Their goal? The eco-responsible exploitation of the salt marshes and the promotion of a delicious original salt carrying powerful and perennial commitments: the strength of the collective, solidarity, sharing, the transmission of a thousand-year-old know-how and a preserved territory.
Thus, to promote their history and their salt, the fruit of an exceptional natural heritage and carrier of the cooperative's values, the salt workers created the brand Le Guérandais.
The story of the cooperative
1972
In order to defend their salts against the power of industrial salts and the greed of property developers, united, supportive and motivated salt workers organized and created le Groupement des Producteurs de Sel.
1988
The Groupement des Producteurs de Sel adopts the status of Coopérative Agricole to ensure complete control of its economic chain.
1989
The harvest quality of our salt has been recognized since 1989 by the award of the European agrobiological label: Nature et Progrès.
1991
Our salt is the first sea salt awarded for its superior quality by Label Rouge:highlighting its organoleptic qualities and composition.
1994
Creation of the Maison du Sel in Pradel, which became Terre de Sel in 2006: a reception structure for discovering the marshes and the paludier's trade, which also offers a boutique distributing the salts produced by the Cooperative as well as local products.
1997
The cooperative manufactures and markets 100% of its production and becomes independent of private traders. It transforms its artisanal workshops into a modernized production site.
2006
Le Guérandais obtains IFS Food certification, which guarantees food safety at all stages of production and product quality.
2009
Le Guérandais cooperative has been certified Agriculture Biologique since 2009 for its range of flavored salts.
2010
Extension of Cooperative buildings incorporating sustainable development aspects. (Ex: installation of photovoltaic and solar panels and rainwater recovery on certain buildings)
2012
In 2012, Guérande salt and Fleur de sel de Guérande are the first salts to obtain a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication)
2024
The cooperative is certified PME+ in 2024. This label values and rewards the Le Guérandais cooperative's commitment to a sustainable approach, in favor of the environment, sustainable development and corporate social responsibility.
Today
The brand has conquered the world and today has an international presence in more than 55 countries, including Europe, Asia and America.
Quality salts: our certifications and labels.
- Nature & Progrès
- APROSELA
- Label Rouge
- Produced in Brittany
- IFS Food
- Organic Farming
- Protected geographical indication
- PME+
Nature & Progrès
As a member of this association since 1989, which has become a leading organization in organic farming development in France and Europe, we share the founding values of Nature & Progrès: a participative social dynamic, a sharing economy with a human dimension, the practice of peasant farming that respects natural balances and a human activity that respects the environment.
APROSELA
In 1990, the salt-making profession createdthe association for the promotion of artisanal salt (APROSELA)following work around improving and recognizing the quality of artisanal sea salt.
It is an ODG (Organisme de Défense et de Gestion) recognized by the INAO, which has been managing the Label Rouge "Sel Marin récolté manuellement" since 1991, and the "Sel de Guérande" and "Fleur de sel de Guérande" designations since the end of 2010. It now has the task of managing and monitoring compliance with the PGI specifications.
It also contributes to the general interest mission of promoting the certified industry, preserving and enhancing salt marshes and traditional production know-how.
Label Rouge
The Cooperative's quality approach was rewarded in 1991 by the award of Label Rouge for coarse salt and ground salt (fine) and confirmed by the revision of the "hand-harvested sea salt" specifications in 2021.
The Label Rouge du sel Le Guérandais is an official sign ofsuperior quality that guarantees the composition of the salt in minerals (magnesium, calcium...) and trace elements, and its organoleptic quality.
Produced in Brittany
Our cooperative and its products join and register with the Produit en Bretagne association, enabling us to have the Produit en Bretagne logo affixed to our products.
This collective regional brand brings together and rewards companies responsibly supporting the economic and cultural dynamic for employment in Brittany.
IFS Food
The Le Guérandais cooperative has also benefited fromIFS Food (International Featured Standard) certification since 2006, which guarantees quality and food safety at all stages of production and the level of product quality.
Organic Farming
The Le Guérandais cooperative has been Agriculture Biologique certified since 2009 for its range of aromatized salts.
This European certification attests that our range of Le Guérandais aromatized salts is composed of organically certified agricultural ingredients and combines in its production: best environmental practices, respect for biodiversity and preservation of natural resources.
Protected geographical indication
Since March 2012,all our quality initiatives have been reinforced at European level by the award of a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) "Guérande Salt" and "Guérande Flower of Salt".
This guarantees consumers the origin as well as the quality of Guérande Salt and Guérande Flower of Salt.
Respecting strict specifications, paludiers produce sea salt that is harvested by hand, unwashed after harvesting and without the addition of any additives.
The definition of Fleur de sel de Guérande now officially specifies that its light, fine, friable crystals are formed and harvested exclusively from the surface of the water.
PME+
The Le Guérandais cooperative has been labeled PME+ since 2024.
This CSR label values and rewards responsible companies committed to a sustainable approach, in favor of the environment, sustainable development and corporate social and societal responsibility.
The PME + label is a genuine recognition of the ethical and responsible practices we hold dear such as: the central place of people in our company, job creation in the region and the design of products combining know-how and quality and controlling their environmental footprint.
All the news of the Le Guérandais cooperative
To find out more about the extraordinary heritage of the salt marshes, its events and the strength of the Le Guérandais cooperative, take a look at our dedicated articles!
