TERA Project in Lustrac, France
Description
Frédéric Bosqué:
"Our collective has been working since 2015 to build what it calls a "cooperative ecosystem for the 21st century."
The project, named TERA, began with a handful of pioneers and a vision: to create a rural village of the future, capable of locally meeting the needs of its inhabitants while respecting both people and nature. Today, after a decade of incubation, that dream is about to take concrete form near Tournon-d’Agenais, close to the banks of the Lot River. For now, it’s just an empty field in the hamlet of Lustrac, next to an old medieval mill. It’s hard to imagine that soon this space will host the first pilot rural neighborhood in transition, built entirely from scratch. Yet in three years’ time, the site will house ecological homes, a training center for eco-construction (to be completed within a month), lightweight accommodations for students and travelers, along with energy and food production facilities and a composting site. Sound utopian? On the contrary, it’s the result of patient social innovation like the one we've been discussing throughout this piece.
TERA is structured as a genuine territorial cooperative ecosystem. In plain terms, it's “a collective of individuals and organizations cooperating to revitalize a rural area while respecting people and nature.” Its stated goal sets the tone: “to relocalize 85% of the vital needs of local residents.” In other words, to produce locally the essential goods and services that sustain the community (food, energy, materials, etc.), thereby regaining economic and ecological sovereignty.
The project relies on five interdependent pillars:
- Localizing production
- Creating a proximity-based distribution network
- Using a complementary local currency
- Establishing open and participatory governance
And ultimately,
- guaranteeing an autonomy income to each resident actively involved.
This last point is particularly groundbreaking: the wealth generated by the ecosystem is meant to fairly compensate every contributor, breaking free from the precariousness of volunteerism. “We want to create a real economic model,” explains the president of the cooperative driving the project. Indeed, many ecological initiatives depend on the elbow grease of passionate but burned-out volunteers. TERA, however, aims for social durability, progressively ensuring fair income through locally rooted activities.
The TERA project in Lustrac isn’t alone — but it’s emblematic. It draws a striking parallel with the free cities of old. Just as medieval communes once invented new rules to flourish outside the feudal system, TERA is inventing new ways to live and generate wealth outside the rigid framework of the globalized economy. This small “territory of life” is gradually experimenting with a nearly complete circular economy: soon, euros will circulate less than local citizen currency backed by the territory’s real production. Residents will no longer rely on distant, anonymous markets for their electricity or vegetables—they’ll produce them together, knowing exactly where, how, and by whom they were made. To that end, a collective-interest cooperative (SCIC) has been formed with local stakeholders, proving that businesses, citizens, and public authorities can be partners—not competitors. This reflects the balance once dreamed of by free cities: enough local autonomy to ensure freedom, and enough openness to remain connected to the wider world. In fact, far from retreating from society, the TERA ecosystem collaborates with researchers, foundations, and local officials to become a replicable model. It has even been certified as a Territorial Hub for Economic Cooperation (PTCE)—official recognition of its innovative and scalable nature.
On the ground, the first concrete results are already revitalizing the four municipalities where the project is steadily progressing. A 12-hectare permaculture farm in Masquières. A cooperative grocery store and brewery (L’Alvéole and L’Aménité) in the heart of Tournon-d’Agenais to distribute products through short supply chains. In Trentels, the Eco-Construction Center will be delivered on July 15th and already employs five full-time staff.
These non-relocatable local jobs are even helping to reverse population decline! Most importantly, a new collective spirit is uniting long-time residents and new arrivals. Local know-how is being passed on and reimagined. Together, people are innovating. By breathing new life into this once-forgotten rural area, TERA demonstrates that our countryside holds real answers to today’s crises—provided we invest in them, humanly and financially. This is not a refuge for urban hipsters seeking greenery. It is a civilization-building site in the open air, where tomorrow’s ways of life are already under construction.
Of course, nothing is simple. It took eight years of hard work to reach this point — overcoming administrative and financial hurdles, persuading skeptics. But each challenge has been a chance to invent, adapt, and co-create new responses. Step by step, these territorial cooperative ecosystems are shaping a realistic and desirable horizon. They prove that another future is possible—here and now—if we are willing to make it happen. By linking the historical inspiration of the free cities with the boldness of today’s projects like TERA, a coherent trajectory emerges: returning power to local communities to place the economy back at the service of life. The circle closes… and the story continues—with us.
From the birth of free cities to modern cooperative ecosystems, a red thread runs through it all: solidarity-based autonomy in service of the common good. History teaches us that the greatest transformations often begin locally, driven by ordinary people willing to do things differently. Today, the most relevant scale of change may well be your village, your neighborhood, your own territory of life. This is where change is within reach, and where you can become a part of the renewal.
And you — in your job, your city, your daily life — are you managing to innovate socially, to put the economy at the service of life? If the answer is no—or not enough—maybe it’s time to gather your courage and act.
You don’t need a “perfect plan” or a miracle solution to start. Each of us can join a local initiative, build connections, contribute our piece to the puzzle. Remember: the burghers of the Middle Ages weren’t superhuman heroes—just people determined to improve their lot by helping one another. Similarly, today’s territories of life don’t require saints or experts—just citizens willing to learn and build together. The transition is no walk in the park—it demands courage, perseverance, and faith in humanity—but what more beautiful or meaningful adventure could there be?
Chances are, a few years from now, you’ll look back with pride. Maybe you’ll have helped reopen a school in the countryside, launch an energy cooperative, or start a community farm with your neighbors. However small, these victories are the soil from which global change grows. So—what are you waiting for to join a territory of life where you can take action? If where you are now you can’t spread your wings, change your air—go where your commitment can make something real bloom.
Now is the time to turn your dreams into reality.
I invite you to take action today."
More information
- "Need to talk or gain clarity? Don’t hesitate to reach out privately — I’d be happy to connect and help if I can. And to support your journey, I’ve created a Small Economic and Financial Guide for Transitioning Eco-Communities, which distills years of experience and practical advice."