Published : 07/07/2022

Our actions to protect lavender and bees!

star

At Folies de Provence, we love lavender and bees. Lavender is the quintessential symbol of Provence, and we support actions organised to protect it.

A whole ecosystem around lavender:

This blue flower is at the heart of the agricultural, economic and tourist ecosystem of the southern region.

Provençal lavender and lavandin cover 20,000 hectares of difficult terrain and are exported all over the world. They provide 9,000 direct jobs (farmers, traders, industrialists, beekeepers, tourism professionals) and generate €50 million in sales (plants, essential oils, honeys, etc.).

France is the world's leading producer of lavandin essential oil (around 1,500 tonnes a year) and the second largest producer of lavender essential oil (around 100 tonnes a year).

Lavender cultivation is a major contributor to Provence's appeal as a tourist destination. The lavender and lavandin landscapes of the Provence mountains are currently being considered for inclusion in UNESCO's intangible heritage list.

An entire ecosystem is therefore under threat, especially as the industry has already been weakened in recent years by a sharp fall in prices.

10 years of safeguarding lavender in Provence

"Lavender is the soul of Haute-Provence". The words of Jean Giono were echoed at the latest general meeting of the Endowment Fund for the Safeguarding of the Lavender Heritage in Provence. "Lavender is a very important part of the economy and tourism. If it were to disappear, Provence would no longer be the same. The Fund's founding president, who is handing over the reins, recalled the issues surrounding lavender.

Ten years ago, the Fund was set up to combat the leafhopper, an insect that is causing lavender to die back, "an insect that is itself linked to global warming".

How to save lavender from Provence

By informing yourself about the threats and taking an active role in the lavender ecosystem
By supporting one of the organisations campaigning to save lavender
By joining us at our events to save lavender

What are the threats to lavender?

There are a number of threats to lavender:

Firstly, global warming has led to disastrous years of drought in Haute-Provence (2003, 2006, 2007).

Secondly, lavender is suffering from a disease called phytoplasma decline, which is hampering its development. This health problem is transmitted by an insect, a tiny leafhopper, which bites diseased plants as it feeds, contaminating healthy ones.

Funds finance scientific programmes aimed at finding ecological solutions for preserving lavender, and raising awareness of the risks of this plant disappearing.

Measures are being taken to prevent the disease by studying the insect and creating plant screens.

As a manufacturer of lavender-based products, and in particular as a producer of lavender essential oils, Folies de Provence is one of many players supporting the preservation of lavender.

The state, companies representing Provençal flavours and scents, producers of aromatic raw materials, perfume publishers, universities, associations and patrons are also working to protect lavender.

Since 2012, the Fonds de dotation pour la sauvegarde du patrimoine lavandes de Provence and the Crieppam research centre (Centre régionalisé interprofessionnel d'expérimentation en plantes à parfum, aromatiques et médicinales) have been taking major steps to protect this precious blue flower.

Our Lavender, Honey and Bee Days in shop

As part of our commitment to this cause, which is particularly close to our hearts, we organise Lavender, Honey and Bee Days.

Our aim is to raise awareness among the general public and our customers, and to provide information on how to protect our lavender and Provençal bees.

We talk about the environment and the impact of the disappearance of bees.

On the programme for these friendly, tasty days:

Discovery of an educational beehive, information on beekeeping, explanations on the importance of protecting bees, lavender honey tastings, discussions on saving lavender, competition,...

Follow our Facebook and Instagram pages to keep up to date with our future events.

Read our other article on the subject: Why we need to save our bees!

The 28th Lavender Festival in Valensole on Sunday 17 July 2022

The Lavender Festival in Valensole is world-famous? This is your chance to discover or rediscover the immense Valensole plateau in July, covered in gigantic fields of lavender and lavandin.

The Valensole area is one of the largest in France. Lavender, lavandin and cereals now account for most of the village's agricultural activity.

The programme on the Valensole plateau includes free visits to lavender and sunflower fields and distilleries, meetings with producers of local produce, demonstrations of traditional lavender flower distillation using an old 19th-century still, an exhibition of old and modern farm equipment used to harvest lavender, sales of quality craft products, guided tours, helicopter flights and folk and musical shows.

Over the last fifteen years or so, Valensole has become a favourite destination for Chinese tourists. Indeed, it was in 2006 that scenes from 一帘幽梦 ("yī lián yōu mèng" or in French: "Dreams behind a crystal curtain"), a series of some forty episodes, were filmed in this region, broadcast on more than 500 television channels across China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and watched by a few hundred million viewers.