3.2.2. The Creation and Putting into Operation of the Company

Lufa was founded in 2009 ("The name of the project is inspired by luffa, a climbing plant that grows in Lebanon, among other places, where it thrives in urban environments. It decorates the walls and fences it covers, provides shade under pergolas, and supplies squash that can be cooked or dried to make sponges" [60].). The project was the brainchild of Mohamed Hage, who was joined by Lauren Rathmell, a biochemist by training and researcher at McGill University's Macdonald campus, who is now the director of the greenhouses; Yahya Badran, director of engineering and a graduate of the Technical University of Construction in Bucharest; and Kurt Lynn, a Toronto-based contractor who acts as an advisor to the company.

A number of resources were needed to launch the business. Among these, the main ones were human. While experts, architects and engineers were hired, the initiators also learned a lot as they went along. Financial investments were likewise necessary. The construction of the pilot greenhouse, for example, was realized with private funding coming from only one partner, the senior manager. As this was a high-risk investment, it had been difficult to attract external private investors. By contrast, the company was able to attract several investors for the construction of the second greenhouse, in Laval. Cycle Capital Management (Cycle Capital invests in several areas including responsible agriculture, renewable energy and clean technology. See http://www.cyclecapital.com/ accessed on 23 July 2021 and http://www.cyclecapital.com/lufa-farms-inc-a-new-company-inthe-cycle-c3e-portfolio/ accessed on 23 July 2021), a venture capital fund that promotes sustainable technologies, was a main participant in this project. The construction of the third greenhouse, in Anjou, completed in 2016, was funded primarily by Solidarity Fund QFL, a fund created by the Fédération des travailleurs du Québec (FTQ, Montréal, QC, Canada) in 1983 to support job retention and creation in Quebec. The construction of the fourth greenhouse was supported by Sollio Groupe Coopératif (formerly Co-op fédérée), a large agricultural cooperative network in Quebec that saw Lufa Farms as a major ally. This partnership has strengthened the ties between Lufa Farms and agricultural producers located near Montreal.

The main goals of Lufa's creators are to increase the food autonomy of the city and to contribute to the improvement of the food distribution chain by bringing food production closer to the consumer. These goals are intended to address the dramatic growth (demographic and spatial) of cities and the attendant ever-increasing need for food products. The creators of the company also aim to offer an option in the face of the disappearance of farmland due to urbanization. In addition, by bringing food production closer to consumers,

the company reduces the number of food miles traveled, thereby reducing the amount of energy required to distribute food products. In the beginning, the company only supplied consumers with products from its agricultural greenhouses. Today, Lufa's list of partners includes approximately 200 agricultural and food processing businesses, the majority of which are located on the island of Montreal or within a 25 km radius.

At Lufa, marketing is conducted exclusively through baskets. The distribution of products is divided into six steps, from the customer's registration to the reception of their basket. Subscription, orders and payment are all carried out online. The baskets are delivered to their respective pick-up points as soon as the order preparation is completed. The company's customers are referred to as "Lufavores," which promotes loyalty and a sense of belonging.
