LA BOURRACHE
- Type
- Research, Education & Health Organisation
- Location
- Hognoul, Belgium
- Industries
- Arable farming, Food ingredients & products, Direct to consumer, Shortening supply chain, Out-of-home
- Domains
- Vegetables, Plant based primary products
About LA BOURRACHE
La Bourrache is a Belgian social-economy non-profit based in Hognoul, near Liège. It operates as a Centre d’Insertion Socioprofessionnelle (CISP), helping job seekers build practical and social skills through training in organic market gardening and ecological park-and-garden maintenance.
Alongside its training mission, the organization produces and sells seasonal organic vegetables and provides garden design and maintenance services for private customers. Its market positioning combines local production, short supply chains, and an ecological approach to both cultivation and landscaping.
Core Values
- Ecology: The organization emphasizes environmentally respectful techniques, local sourcing, biodiversity, and soil-friendly cultivation methods.
- Social inclusion: Its training programs are designed to support unemployed people, especially those with long-term unemployment or lower qualification levels, in rebuilding their path toward work.
- Practical learning: Training is centered on hands-on work in the field and in gardens, supported by theory and personalized follow-up.
- Partnership: La Bourrache highlights teamwork, collaboration with external training partners, and long-standing relationships with organizations and institutions.
Unique Aspects
- Dual social and environmental mission: Founded in 2003, La Bourrache combines organic production and ecological services with professional insertion, making it both a producer and a training center.
- CISP recognition and public support: It is an approved CISP under the Walloon Region and states that its project is co-financed by the European Social Fund (FSE).
- Local distribution network: Its vegetable baskets are distributed through multiple pickup points across the Liège region, and its produce also reaches local organic shops, schools, and businesses.
- Ecological cultivation approach: Beyond organic certification, the organization says it works to increase biodiversity, minimize soil disturbance, and favor compost, green manures, and local inputs.