Monfaucon, France, 2025-03-28. Members of a future participatory grocery store are carrying out painting and decorating work on the future premises. The grocery store in Monfaucon, called EPISTEOUS (a contraction of Epis, and Esteous, a river that flows through the Hautes-Pyrénées and Gers departments) aims to create social connections, provide villagers with a currently non-existent local shop offering quality and affordable local products, and develop sharing and service activities. Today, more than 400 grocery stores make up the Epis network in France, a participatory local buying group advocating for Photography by Sophie BELLARD / Hans Lucas. Monfaucon, France, 2025-04-03. Des adherents d une future epicerie particpative accomplissent des travaux de peinture et d embellissement du futur local. L epicerie EPISTEOUS (contraction d Epis, et Esteous, une riviere qui traverse les Hautes Pyrenees et le Gers) a Monfaucon est destinee a creer du lien, offrir aux villageois un commerce de proximite actuellement inexistant avec des produits locaux de qualite et abordables et developper des activites de partage et de service. Photographie par Sophie BELLARD / Hans Lucas.

Crédits photos © Sophie Bellard1-15. Residents of villages in Bigorre pose in front of the premises of their future grocery store in Monfaucon, called EPISTEOUS (a contraction of Epis, the name of a network of participatory grocery stores, and Esteous, a river that flows through the Hautes-Pyrénées and Gers departments). The grocery store aims to create social connections, provide villagers with a currently non-existent local shop offering quality and affordable local products, and develop sharing and service activities. Today, more than 400 grocery stores make up the Epis network in France, a participatory local buying group advocating for short supply chain products that respect the planet. Photography by Sophie BELLARD / Hans Lucas. Monfaucon, France, 2024-01-15. Des habitants de vilages de Bigorre posent devant le local de leur future epicerie participative a Monfaucon, l EPISTEOUS (contraction d Epis, nom d un reseau d epiceries participatives et Esteous, une riviere qui traverse les Hautes Pyrenees et le Gers). L epicerie est destinee a creer du lien, offrir aux villageois un commerce de proximite actuellement inexistant avec des produits locaux de qualite et abordables et developper des activites de partage et de service. Plus de 400 epicerie constituent aujorudh ui le reseau des Epis en France, un groupement d achat local participatif pronant des produits en circuits courts et respectueux de la planete. Photographie par Sophie BELLARD / Hans Lucas.