Will French perfumes disappear due to climate change?

It is nicknamed the capital of perfume. In France, Grasse, in the hinterland of Nice, is renowned for its microclimate where fields of lavender, roses, tuberoses and jasmine bloom every year, declared a UNESCO heritage site. Since the 17th century it has been envied for its generous perfumes, sought after by the greatest perfumers and noses from all over the world. To compose their fragrances, many luxury brands, such as Chanel or Dior, buy her flowers at exorbitant prices.

A know-how undermined by climate change

The climatic disasters of recent months, whether it be increasing heat waves, droughts that weaken soils or torrential rains that increase the risk of flooding, are putting the region’s flower producers in difficulty. . As reported by Keeper, the extreme drought that hit the south of France last year caused the loss of almost 50% of the crop. And, for the remaining 50%, the quality isn’t always there.

But the Grasse flowers are far from being an isolated case, as revealed by the British newspaper. In fact, vanilla, an essential raw material also for the perfume industry, is being hit hard by the climate crisis. In Africa, where it is mainly grown, the heat waves of recent years have drastically reduced its production. ” In 2017, a cyclone in Madagascar destroyed nearly 30% of the crops, sending the price of vanilla skyrocketing to $600 per kilo let’s add our English colleagues.

Towards an artificialization of the perfume industry?

Faced with scarce resources, some perfumers are already sensing a shift in their production methods, moving more and more towards synthetic perfumes. It would be making a perfume in the laboratory more sustainable than growing flowers, consuming a lot of water or importing raw materials whose transportation generates carbon emissions? According to the producers from Grasse, nothing is less certain. The latter deny that they consume very little water thanks to irrigation techniques responsible for only 5% of the region’s water consumption.

The association Exceptional flowers it fights there to perpetuate the craftsmanship of its producers, demanding that further studies be carried out on the consequences of climate change on the sector. The target ? Find concrete solutions to enable the region to adapt to environmental challenges. But, in order to set up this transition, it would also require financial aid, which cannot cost Grasse’s know-how its autonomy, as the president of the association explains to the British newspaper: “Brands want to associate their fragrances with our history and heritage, yet they come and try to change everything. We don’t want to be tied hand and foot to the industry”.

In the meantime, it cannot be excluded that the prices of perfumes will rise, like many of the victim products” heatflation (i.e. inflation resulting from the effects of climate change). At a time when it is essential to change our methods of production and consumption, will the olfactory industry be able to reinvent itself?

Image from the front page: Pexels / Mareefe