UP! Lokal
The farm in my neighborhood
Healthy food in your local store
On UP! Lokal’s shelf, you’ll find :
- Fresh, organic, seasonal fruit and vegetables, depending on the week’s harvest and the grocer’s choice.
- In bulk, organic and “lokal” dry products according to the grocer’s choice (for example, rice – semolina – chickpeas – lentils, etc.).
- Fruit juices, eggs, honey, … according to the grocer’s request
- Short supply chain : Direct delivery from Ferme du Montaval, our partner market gardener.
- Zero waste : unsold vegetables are bought and processed every week by Asbl Cosmos
Fruit and/or vegetable baskets
Do you want to receive a basket of organic, local and seasonal vegetables and/or fruits every week from the grocer of your choice ?
- Subscription possible for a minimum duration of 4 weeks (payment at time of order)
- You choose the basket that suits your needs
- Delivery on Wednesday before 3 p.m. to the grocer of your choice (basket to be collected before Saturday evening)
UP! Lokal: Our model
Accessibility to healthy, quality food remains very unequal throughout the world, but also in Belgium. Economic, geographical and symbolic barriers combine to limit the effective exercise of the right to food for all.
UP! Lokal is a practical application of the principle of “leave no one behind” applied to the transition to more sustainable food systems.
In addition of improving accessibility to “good food” for all, UP! Lokal aims to economically strengthen local actors essential to building more sustainable and equitable food systems. On the one hand, market gardeners who engage in environmentally friendly agriculture. On the other hand, local grocers, vectors of conviviality and social cohesion in our neighborhoods.
FAQ
Can I choose the fruit/vegetables in my basket ?
No, the baskets are composed according to the week’s harvests, which follow the seasonal fruit and vegetable calendar, so the composition of the baskets changes from week to week. A certain diversity of fruit and vegetables is guaranteed in each basket.
Can I add other products available in grocery stores to my basket order ?
Unfortunately this is not possible. However, when you pick up your basket at your local grocery store, you’ll be able to add other products from the Montaval farm (eggs, honey) or other UP! Lokal products available in store, which you pay directly to the grocer.
How long do I have to wait to pick up my first basket after placing an order ?
Once you’ve placed your order on our site, we’ll send you an e-mail with payment details. Once payment has been received, your order is validated and sent to our partner farmer. We’ll send you an e-mail telling you when your first basket will be delivered.
Every Wednesday, we’ll send you a message to let you know when you can collect your basket.
Where can I pick up my basket and what are the terms and conditions if I subscribe to the weekly baskets ?
You can pick up your basket at one of our UP! grocers :
- Brogniez street 133, 1070 Anderlecht
- “des vétérinaires” street 14, 1070 Anderlecht
- Clemenceau avenue 114, 1070 Anderlecht
To order a basket, you need to commit to a minimum of 4 weeks. After the first 4 weeks, it’s up to you to decide whether to continue or stop your subscription. You can also stop temporarily, then resume, for example, when you go on vacation.
Why a minimum of 4 weeks ?
There are several reasons why we decided to offer this formula.
- To support Belgian market gardeners (they really need it!) by giving them greater visibility over future orders.
- 4 baskets give you a good idea of how your baskets will evolve over time, so you can check that the formula you’ve chosen meets your expectations.
How are prices set ?
We want you to understand the components of the price you pay at UP! Lokal. First of all, we don’t negotiate the price at which we buy the basket from market gardeners, because we consider that their situation is already critical and that they deserve to be paid a fair price. Secondly, Up! Lokal and your UP! grocer each take between €1 and €2 commission, depending on the type and size of the baskets, so that they too can survive economically.
All the products in my basket come from the Montaval farm ?
No. David from “Ferme du Montaval” has teamed up with other producers who are also committed to sustainable agriculture, in order to complete his range of products in the baskets and guarantee sufficient diversity.
What products can I find on the UP! Lokal shelves ?
It depends. Grocers are free to order the farm produce they wish to offer their customers. Farm produce therefore varies from week to week.
Other products include Fruit Collect brand fruit juices (100% Belgian fruit), eggs, honey and various bulk dried products. Once again, the grocers decide which products they wish to sell.
How do you handle food waste ?
UP! Lokal vegetables and fruit are delivered weekly to our partner grocers. The following week, UP! Lokal buys back unsold produce from these grocers and sells it to a “recycler” who will use the unsold food. The recycler will, for example, use these products to transform them into meals, soups, desserts or whatever.
At the moment, we’re working with the ASBL Cosmos, located next to the Clemenceau metro station, which transforms the products into meals for its social restaurant.
UP! Lokal is currently expanding and looking for new recyclers to work with.
Are you planning to extend your network of partner grocers to other municipalities in Brussels ?
Yes! In the coming weeks and months, we’re looking to expand geographically by developing new partnerships in Cureghem and other areas of Brussels.
They support us and collaborate with us:
