Producers of herbal and organic teas do not want to rest on their laurels. The Gardens of Gaia, an independent processing producer for nearly thirty years based in Wittisheim (Bas-Rhin), French leader in number of references, tonnage and turnover, is working to relocate an infusion plant sector to the south… of the ‘Alsace. More precisely in Haut-Rhin, in the small town of Ungersheim where a real support network has been set up in an area usually devoted to cereal or wine crops.
As part of a municipal agricultural management of gardens red cloverlands belonging to the municipality of Ungersheim, three market gardeners work to grow blueberries and marigolds, all obviously organic and fair trade. Flowers whose petals will be used in the composition of future herbal teas from the Jardins de Gaïa. And this is only the beginning because sixteen varieties of plants are planned for experimentation. An attempt which, however, due to caution, does not yet benefit from large investments.
We must “first see how it works despite climatic variations, how to increase profitability by mechanizing certain tasks, in particular the picking and harvesting of petals for drying and competing with a very different hourly rate in certain foreign countries”, underlines Kendji, the market gardener of Red Clover. After three months of cultivation, the question remains unanswered. Even if a good part of these plants manage to grow in Alsace, creating an economically viable sector of organic and local aromatic and medicinal perfume plants (PPAM) in Alsace remains, according to the specialists, a great adventure.
An attempt that smells good for local farmers because the family business, which wishes to be geographically closer to the sectors with which it usually works, “displaces 230 tonnes of materials each year, a quarter of which consists of infusion plants”, explains Cassandre Maury, director. General of the Gardens of Gaïa. Plants purchased directly from producers, whether individuals, cooperatives, associations, and which they transform to produce tea and herbal teas, more than 650 references sold…
An experiment motivated by the desire of Jardins de Gaïa to see part of its purchasing catalog of 150 infusion plants produced in France increase significantly. Currently, tea leaves mainly come from countries outside the European Union (Asia, Africa, Latin America). Which is not the case for infusion plants. More than 10% of Jardins de Gaïa purchases are produced in France, depending on the region (south, center and west of the country). “The rest of our production comes 50% from the European Union and then from outside the EU,” explains Cassandre Maury. An observation which suggests some hope for the Alsatian organic and eco-responsible project and which is attractive. Organic in the Grand-Estthe Alsace-Lorraine Water and Sanitation Union (SDEA) or even the Grand-Est region and the Rhin Meuse Water Agency are involved.
But for now “we are here really on the implementation of experimental PPAM crops, over three years, to see at the terroir level, at the level of costs, productivity, etc., what that gives”, tempers Cassandra Maury. “We have just made the first harvests of what was planted in spring and we will have to make technical adjustments, test their organoleptic qualities [qualités visuelles, sensorielles, goût] and also try to cultivate the other plants placed on the Organic list in Grand-Est. » The beginning, finally, of a flowery adventure in Alsace.