We currently work with a dozen producers and distillers in Corsica to grow, harvest and distil the precious immortelle flowers, with contracts covering several years. Immortelle grows wild in Corsica, but it would be risky (and unsustainable!) to harvest and use the wild plant. So, in 2004, we launched our immortelle plantation programme. 50 hectares were planted! We work with several producers in Corsica. They grow immortelle organically, and their contracts with L'OCCITANE cover several years.

Verbena is a plant that is often associated with Provence, as it can be found in markets and gardens. Yet its cultivation in the region is now limited, due to competition from other verbena producing countries. That’s why we chose to source our verbena from Philippe and Magalie Mary, who produce a rare and precious verbena in a sheltered environment. The land is certified 100% organic, in small plots surrounded by forests.

Also known as “blue gold”, lavender is synonymous with Provence. Since 1981, the expertise of the producers of fine lavender from Haute-Provence has been protected by the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) label, which guarantees the quality and traceability of the essential oil. We source our supplies from cooperatives in Provence and have established a multi-year partnership with the local supply chain. One of our producers, Jerome Boenle, specialises in the production of P.D.O Lavender, and implements new agricultural practices such as grassing, to create natural barriers, and plants different varieties of lavender, while consistently monitoring his fields.

As part of our commitment to sustainability, we support the local production of almonds and make good use of coproducts (a product produced jointly with another product) – so we not only purchase the nuts whole, but also the broken almonds. In France, our main producer is Jean-Pierre Jaubert. His land covers 80 hectares, and his passion and know-how go back three generations. In 2015, he signed a multi-year contract with L’OCCITANE, thus assuring him of a long-term, major customer for his crop.

In 2009 we obtained a Fair Trade Certification with our shea butter cooperatives we work with. A good example of how we accompany our growers is the work we have been doing with our shea butter supply chain in Burkina Faso for over 30 years. Rather than purchasing the shea nuts or kernels, we buy the butter – made using traditional methods – directly from the women’s cooperatives, with no intermediaries. That way, we keep 100% local added value and help maintain the continuity of the skill, which has been passed down from generation to generation. Our Shea butter supply chain has been recognized as “exemplary” by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in 2013 and 2019.

Meadowsweet grows in the wild remote and preserved area of Lus-la Croix Haute, in the Drome region of France. If this plant is harvested irresponsibly, there can be a significant impact on the natural environment. That’s why we decided to work with local partners to draw up a Sustainable Picking Charter protecting the integrity and habitat of these plants. Our picker, Jean-Pierre Pavier, has signed our sustainable picking charter and is committed to protecting biodiversity when picking these plants. He harvests the plant by hand, in zones that have been certified 100% organic by Ecocert, with any aim of preserving wildlife. Meadowsweet is carefully picked, cutting only 50% of the flower so the plant can reproduce itself.

Our producer Michaël Comte cuts and harvests 100% of our organic cade wood in the wild, in the Ardèche Regional Natural Park, a preserved region surrounded by forests. Michael works on land clearing to create firebreaks area. By making use of wildharvested cade, we make sure that this raw material, which is often considered a waste product, is put to good use.