The Montreal-based collective Les Fruits Défendus was founded in 2011 by a group of citizens seeking to make use of urban fruit that would otherwise go to waste and to promote the sharing of this local food resource. For over a decade, the project was incubated and hosted by Santropol Roulant, with which it still shares many values, practices, and aspirations today.
Over the years, the collective has developed its own network of members, partnerships, and way of engaging with the Montreal community. This evolution led to its incorporation as an independent nonprofit organization in 2024.
As sometimes happens in living ecosystems, certain projects take root within an organization before gradually spreading their own branches. Les Fruits Défendus and Santropol Roulant now pursue their missions independently, while remaining closely linked by a shared history and a collaboration that remains very much alive. In some ways, this relationship mirrors the one that today unites Santropol Roulant and the Santropol Café: independent organizations that still share common roots, values, and a shared history.
To learn more about our mission, our activities, and our community-driven food collection network, we invite you to visit our new website: www.lesfruitsdefendus.org