This document analyzes the local supply chain for earth as a building material in Brittany, Cornwall, and Devon. It finds that while earth is readily available in the region in loose soil form from excavation sites, there is currently no organized natural material supply chain or production capacity estimation for earth. However, some informal initiatives have emerged, including an association of 20 members and potential partnerships through the LIBNAM project, which aims to develop local platforms and characterize soils. Research on improving earth as a building material is conducted by two local laboratories. Overall, the legitimacy of structuring an earth supply chain in the region remains to be demonstrated through larger building projects.

1. WP2 : Identification des filières et des réseaux de professionnels
TECHNICAL SHEET MICRO- LOCAL SUPPLY CHAIN NATURAL
MATERIAL
1. SUPPLY STRUCTURING
Can we find the material on the territory?
 Yes
o In what form?
As loose soil material from excavation site
Sifted earth packed in bags purchased from building materials merchants/stores.
o How?
- Bulk soil exists in three/various forms:
- It may be dug directly from the site of the build.
- The craftsman may be informed that soil is being excavated by some civil
engineering company or a municipality. He then collects it and carries it
himself to the building site or on a private storage place.
The artisan gets the information provided he has previously been in touch with
the municipalities within its scope of action, or he will look for the information
Objective of the technical sheet:
 Analyse whether there is a micro
local supply chain or not,
 Identify potential constraints that
could hamper the development of
the use of targeted natural material
CONCERNED MATERIAL :
 EARTH
 STRAW
 HEMP
 CELLULOSE WADDING
 WOOD
GEOGRAPHICAL SPACE
 BRITTANY
 CORNWALL
 DEVON

2. WP2 : Identification des filières et des réseaux de professionnels
directly with communities and public work businesses when he needs some
material.
- There are also a couple of local informal initiatives to sell loose soil material.
This represents a diversification of activities for artisans already in practice
who are interested in a storage place. Municipality technicians then ask road
workers to direct some trucks to the storage location (when it is very close to
the place of extraction. Otherwise, the artisan has to take the material himself
to the place of storage, which is often an obstacle because few of them have
heavy vehicles). Then the loose soil is screened or not, put in bags or not. It is
not analysed.
- Following an awareness campaign conducted upstream with communities, the
latters make some storage places available on which they direct the soil
excavated by public works trucks. Access to this storage place is carried out in
open access.
- A feasibility study on local and virtual platforms of available loose soil is
currently being conducted under the LIBNAM project. The objective of the
local platform is to characterize and prepare the soil before it is used by
professionals and individuals. The purpose of the virtual platform is to identify
the potential excavation sites and to characterize the soil in order to feed data
to a virtual platform accessible to all its members.
Can we estimate the production capacity?
 No
Is there a natural material supply-chain organisation?
 No
o If not, is there a kind of working in network?
 Yes
 Name of the structure : Association des Terreux
Armoricains
How many members: 20

3. WP2 : Identification des filières et des réseaux de professionnels
Who purchase the materials?
Craftsmen, individual tradesmen, training organizations conducting training on earth
as a building material, self-employed workers, building casual workers, owners of
private cob homes...
Is there a collective organisation to pool the purchase of materials (ex:
cooperatives, etc.) ?
Following the feasibility study conducted in LIBNAM project, the objective would be to
set up an organization with the ability to pool supply. However, professionals are not
willing to pay for the material even if it is prepared. Stakeholders in the regional scheme
“Plan Bâtiment Durable Breton” (Breton Sustainable Building Programme) are willing
to participate in the development of the supply chain.
Are there incentives to favour the development of production capacity of
companies?
 Attractive activities for some territories with projects related to the material
involved? Public authorities can be mobilized.
 Support for tangible and intangible investments? Financial support is possible
through solidarity funding schemes
 Are there specialized engineering companies? Research laboratories are
based in Rennes and Nantes.
Are there research actions locally on the specific supply chain?
Two laboratories are doing research work more specifically on earth:
- IFSTTAR (l’Institut Français des Sciences, des Technologies, des Transports, de
l’Aménagement et des Réseaux) in Nantes which focuses on earth mechanical
process improvements and which develops performance tests for professionals.
- IAUR (l’Institut d’Aménagement et d’Urbanisme de Rennes) in Rennes which would
like to take part, with Rennes Greater Council, in the development of earth buildings
using processed earth with a triple objective:

4. WP2 : Identification des filières et des réseaux de professionnels
 a social objective: training young people from disadvantaged areas
 an urban one: using the soil dug for the construction of an underground
metro line
 an economic one: diversify economic activity of small building
businesses in the southern urban priority zone of Rennes.
Are there organized links with businesses?
Large building projects may emerge in 2016 and demonstrate the relevance of a local
platform, an essential tool for the management and preparation of large volumes of
soil. Today, however, the legitimacy of structuring a local earth supply chain remains
to be demonstrated.
2. LINKS WITHIN THE VALUE CHAIN
What are the trades/engineering/companies and stakeholders related/linked to
the material involved?
Earth masons, cob builders
Straw carpenters
Trainers
Communities
Civil engineering companies, public work enterprises
Building materials stores
Farmers for supply of plant fibers mixed with earth
Is there an economic monitoring on the supply chain?
Yes, via the LIBNAM project as part of the feasibility study for the "innovation centre
on earth as a building material"
Is there a label or a project of label on the concerned natural material?
No
If local platforms were developed, a "locally produced" label could be sought.

5. WP2 : Identification des filières et des réseaux de professionnels
3. STIMULATING DEMAND
Is there a control policy on the origin and quality of used natural material?
Yes, for processed earth sold in bags.
Not for local soil. The market remains confidential
Is there an institutional and public communication to favour the use of natural
material in building on the territory?
No
However the « Plan Bâtiment Durable Breton » (Breton Sustainable Building
Programme) is willing to develop three natural material supply chains including earth.
Are there reference houses/buildings on the territory?
Yes
Old houses, cob walls, other urban and rural cob development projects, earth coating
and plasters
Are there incentive measures such as specific tax exemption?
No
Writer: Typhaine Lesselingue
Additional writing and translation: Isabelle Junalik
We thank Hervé Even and Erwan Hamard for their review and addtional information