City of Grasse, France, to convert property development land to fragrance flower cultivation

The French city of Grasse, in Provence, a world-renowned perfume creation centre, recently adopted a local town plan that increases farmland five-fold, freeing up nearly 100 hectares which were already developed, or had been earmarked for future property development, and converting them to fragrance flower cultivation.

Grasse’s new zoning plan, approved last week, reclassified 21% of municipal land into farmland, compared to 4% beforehand; building development rights were frozen and natural areas were reclassified, Grasse Deputy General Manager of Urban Planning Nathalie Campana told AFP.

The total extent of farmland grew from 178 to 928 hectares, of which 70 have already been ring-fenced for the cultivation of fragrance flowers, in the Saint-Marc and Saint-Mathieu areas, which still conserve traces of an agricultural past.

“In parallel, since July 2014 and while the new zoning plan was being drawn up, the mayor’s office has been working with local agricultural authorities to convert more farmland to fragrance flower cultivation, and to help young farmers settle there,” said Campana, adding that “on smaller plots, we are also encouraging vegetable cultivation. It’s a genuine economic growth sector. Perfumers who used to buy rose and jasmine in North Africa are now coming back to Grasse, for its heritage and the quality of its flowers, more suited to premium products.”

Grasse is world-renowned for fragrance flower cultivation, though the latter nearly ground to a halt in the middle of the 2000s, due to competition by flowers farmed more cheaply elsewhere in the world, and pressure from the real estate sector, very strong in the Côte d'Azur.

In the last 10 years, local production began to grow again, and Grasse has applied for the inclusion of its perfume expertise in the UNESCO worldwide List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

In 1939, up to 1,600 tons of Rosa Centifolia and 2,000 tons of Jasmine Grandiflorum were harvested in Grasse, but in 1971 the output was down to 300 tons.

In 2017, rose flower production was up to 80 tons again, from 49 hectares of farmland, and jasmine output was 11.5 tons from between five and seven hectares of farmland, according to figures by Prodarom, the French national association of aromatic product manufacturers, cited by the Grasse mayor’s office.

About 60 companies with approximately 4,600 jobs are active in the Grasse area in the perfume, scents and cosmetics sector.