Rodolphe Landemaine - How Food Can Drive Ecological Transition | ESSEC iMagination Week 2025

Why It Matters

Landemaine’s model proves that plant‑based food enterprises can achieve commercial success while delivering significant carbon reductions, setting a precedent for the food industry’s role in meeting climate targets.

Key Takeaways

• 100% vegan bakery model reduces carbon footprint of food service
• Landemaine’s foundation funds regenerative agriculture on Normandy estate
• Triple accounting integrates environmental, social, and financial performance
• Franchise expansion targets 20 new vegan bakeries annually worldwide
• Zero‑plastic packaging and local sourcing cut waste and support farmers

Summary

Rodolphe Landemaine, founder of the Maison Landemaine bakery group, used the ESSEC iMagination Week stage to outline how a plant‑based food business can become a catalyst for the ecological transition. He traced his personal journey from childhood vegetarianism to vegan activism, and described the creation of the 100% vegan bakery chain Land and Monkeys, the Yongo egg‑white substitute, and the "Fondation Actionnaires sur Terre" that funds regenerative agriculture on a Normandy estate.

Landemaine highlighted stark data: roughly 40% of individual eco‑gestures stem from dietary choices, 90% of food‑related carbon emissions come from animal products, and 70% of agricultural land supports livestock that delivers only 18% of global calories. His group now operates 38 points of sale, employs 600 staff, and generates €60 million in revenue, while centralizing R&D in a laboratory that develops plant‑protein alternatives and zero‑plastic packaging.

Key examples underscored his thesis. He cited the "triple accounting" system that measures environmental, social, and financial outcomes, the decision to source only local, organic flours and seasonal French fruits, and the practice of composting all biodegradable waste. He also noted that 1% of turnover is donated to biodiversity NGOs, and that the franchise model is attracting ten franchise inquiries weekly, aiming for twenty new vegan bakeries each year.

The implications are clear: a fully vegan bakery can scale profitably while dramatically lowering its ecological footprint, offering a replicable blueprint for the broader food sector. Landemaine’s approach demonstrates that aligning business incentives with planetary health can drive both market growth and measurable climate benefits.

Original Description

L'iMagination Week est un programme de l’ESSEC Business School dédié à l’imagination et à la créativité. Du 6 au 17 janvier 2025, nous avons proposé aux étudiants du programme Grande École, sur les campus de Cergy et Singapour, de travailler sur le thème : « Shaping a Desirable Future ».

Rodolphe Landemaine, fondateur et président de Maison Landemaine, Land&Monkeys et Yumgo Foods, partage sa vision d’un entrepreneuriat engagé, où l’innovation se met au service du vivant.

Il rappelle une idée clé : nous avons tous un levier puissant au quotidien, notre alimentation. À elle seule, elle représenterait jusqu’à 40 % des gestes éco-citoyens.

Sa mission : mettre son expérience d’entrepreneur au service de la planète et se poser une question simple (et exigeante) :

« Comment créer des projets qui pèsent moins sur la biosphère ? »

À travers ses entreprises, il illustre concrètement cet engagement :

► Maison Landemaine : boulangerie artisanale haut de gamme, engagée pour une production plus responsable.

► Land&Monkeys : première chaîne de boulangeries 100 % végétales, qui allie gourmandise et respect de l’environnement.

► Yumgo Foods : start-up qui développe des alternatives végétales aux œufs pour l’industrie alimentaire.

➡️ Une intervention inspirante qui montre comment l’entrepreneuriat peut devenir un outil de transition écologique, très concret, et à notre portée.

***

iMagination Week is an ESSEC Business School program dedicated to imagination and creativity. From January 6th to 17th, 2025, we invited Grande École students on the Cergy and Singapore campuses to work on the theme: “Shaping a Desirable Future.”

Rodolphe Landemaine, founder and president of Maison Landemaine, Land&Monkeys, and Yumgo Foods, shares his vision of purpose-driven entrepreneurship, where innovation serves the planet and living systems.

He highlights a key idea: we all have a powerful lever every day, the way we eat. This single choice can represent up to 40% of individual eco-actions.

His mission: use his entrepreneurial experience in service of life and ask a simple (yet demanding) question:

“How can I build projects that have a lighter footprint on the biosphere?”

Through his companies, he brings this commitment to life:

► Maison Landemaine: a high-end artisan bakery committed to more responsible production.

► Land&Monkeys: the first 100% plant-based bakery chain, combining indulgence with environmental respect.

► Yumgo Foods: an innovative start-up developing plant-based egg alternatives for the food industry.

➡️ An inspiring talk showing how entrepreneurship can be a practical tool for ecological transition.

***

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