The Secret world of Herbs
Its native fragrant flowers and aromatic herbs have made the Provence a brand known worldwide. The wealth of flora found in this region, between the French Alps and the Mediterranean, is unequalled among the French provinces. Around Sault, near Mont Ventoux, the valleys and high plains are carpeted with bright violet: In the hot climate of the South of France, lavender blooms and exudes its fragrance. Monastic healers have been using its aromatic medicinal oil since the Middle Ages. And today an entire industry is based on the trade with this fragrant flower. Yet the livelihood of Provençal lavender farmers is imperiled. In France's major lavender-growing region, the “Plateau de Valensole”, our viewers encounter Gérard Blanc, who has been hit particularly hard. The lavender farmer lost sixty percent of his harvest to one tiny insect: the leafhopper. This insect has already destroyed half of the lavender acreage, bumping France from its market position as the world's top producer of lavender oil. The film visits a resolute farmer who, not about to give up, is testing methods to fend off the voracious insect.
