"In two days, you have changed the fate and prospects of my farm," wrote Antoine Foulu-Mion in his crowdfunding post. Thanks to extensive media coverage, the 44-year-old organic farmer collected almost €79,000 in donations sent in by over 2,700 people. On the morning of March 15, he received a first payment of €50,000. "My banker won't believe it," he said, happy to finally be able to pay off his €22,000 debt.

For the past two years, Foulu-Mion has been the victim of the organic produce crisis, which consumers perceived as too expensive in a time of sharp inflation. "I found myself with tons of produce and no one to buy it. I was forced to go into debt," said the farmer, based in the Isère département, in the Alps (southeastern France). "This is an act of desperation that ultimately saved my life."

He is not an isolated case. When they were first created, online fundraisers were mainly used to pay for collective gifts, trips, personal initiatives, or farewell parties. However, the nature of the projects funded has gradually changed.

Nowadays, it's also a matter of saving a farm or a business, paying rent arrears, or even buying groceries for struggling people. The loss of purchasing power among the French, along with the health and inflation crises, have contributed to this shift. What started as a good idea among friends or colleagues has turned into a social safety net.

The trend is reflected in the numbers. Over the last five years, one in four French people has resorted to solidarity to meet their financial needs, according to the Observatoire des Générosités (Generosities Observatory) by the Odoxa Institute for Leetchi. "In 2023, solidarity fundraising accounted for 25% of the amounts raised on our platform, totaling €60 million," said Amandine Plas, marketing director at Leetchi. Moreover, the prominence of this solidarity funding is growing: "They grew in number by 13% between 2022 and 2023" on the platform, said Plas.

However, not all fundraising endeavors are successful like Antoine Foulu-Mion's. Another farmer, Victor Bonnot, also a victim of dwindling interest in organic produce, launched a crowdfunding campaign two months ago. "I lost 50% of my clientele," he said. He is €40,000 in debt. His online fundraiser has raised €4,400, just enough to pay his two minimum-wage employees – nothing more.

"At the moment, I'm paying them by sacrificing my income. In 2023, I only paid myself €6,000," said the farmer from Saône-et-Loire (central eastern France). Bonnot is currently negotiating a loan repayment extension with his bank. "So far, I've been left to fend for myself by my bankers," he said, not confident that the outcome will be in his favor.

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