In the Charente-Maritime, agriculture will soon be worth more than peanuts. The Océalia group decided to experiment with cultivating beans that originate from South America and are cultivated in Africa, China, India and the United States – the three main producing countries.
Due to climate change, the former Poitou-Charentes is now suitable for plants that require little water and fertilizer. Nearly 10 hectares of land were planted and harvested this year by five farmers and members of Océalia. This choice is no coincidence: the Charente cooperative group has owned the Menguy brand for several years. Behind its name, which seems to come from across the Atlantic, hides a company born in Mazamet (Tarn). Since 1987 it has been marketing peanuts imported from the United States and Argentina.
The “test” was carried out in Landes two decades ago. Unconvincing: Menguy quickly turned the page. But the Océalia subsidiary is now at it again in the former Poitou-Charentes with big ambitions. Specifically regarding the planting of “1,000 ha by 2030”, predicts Guillaume Lamy, general director. Enough to produce 2,000 tonnes of peanuts and “10% of our needs”, he added. “We want to offer a culture with high added value,” says Mickaël Bertrand, coordinator of the new sector.
This economic model has not yet been formally established, admit Guillaume Lamy and Mickaël Bertrand. But Océalia and Menguy’s want to believe in this and offer new opportunities to cooperative members.
“It doesn’t require any more work than classical culture”
Farmer in Saint-Romain-de-Benet (Charente-Maritime), Stéphane Gémon agreed to plant 2 ha this year. “It doesn’t require any more work than classic crops like sunflowers. Cereal prices are falling, fertilizer prices are rising… If these crops can give us stability and better visibility, why not! And eating French beans is no worse,” assures the forty-year-old.
This first official harvest was supposed to produce 2 tonnes of peanuts. “We were very surprised by the results of this harvest,” admits Mickaël Bertrand, satisfied with these encouraging results. The Océalia Group intends to market this new windfall from the first quarter of 2026, under the special name “made in France”.
Guillaume Lamy makes this clear: “We will not mix these beans with other beans”, which come from the ends of the earth. The nuts are pulled out and then dried in the open air for about ten days, the nuts are then harvested in autumn, explains farmer Stéphane Gémon. Menguy peels the skin and then places it in a hot air oven – this method is similar to roasting coffee. A little oil, a little salt, and you’ve got French beans that are poised to become a hyperglobalized market buster.
