MEMBER NEWS
The Art Of Perfumery in
Grasse, France, Earns UNESCO
World Heritage Status
From a press release issued by Firmenich,
Inc.—
“The art of perfumery and its birthplace
Grasse, France, have been officially awarded
‘World Heritage Status,’ joining UNESCO’s
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list,
aiming to preserve the world’s most precious
traditions. Recognized by UNESCO’s special-
ized committee, Grasse’s unique perfumery
‘savoir-faire’ includes the cultivation of per-
fume plants, the knowledge and processing of
natural raw materials, and the art of perfume
composition.
‘Since the 16th century, Grasse has been
the cradle of perfumery and the global guard-
ian of its unique heritage. With Firmenich’s
Naturals Center of Excellence in Grasse, we
are proud to be part of this exceptional tradi-
tion,’ said Armand de Villoutreys, President
Perfumery & Ingredients, Firmenich. ‘UNES-
CO’s world heritage status guarantees that we
can safeguard Grasse’s collective savoir-faire
and natural ingredients for generations to
come.’
42 | FRAGRANCENOTES.ORG | Issue 1, 2019
Grasse and its surrounding area offer a
unique environment, from soil quality and sun-
light to temperature, ideally suited to nurture
exceptional flowers at the heart of perfumery
creation. The area is particularly world-re-
nowned for its fragrant ‘Rose de Mai’ (May
rose) and jasmine, sustainably cultivated for
Firmenich, as well as for many French luxury
houses.
‘Having grown up in Grasse, the heart of
perfumery, I carry with me a deep respect and
understanding of flowers and nature, and the
beauty they bring to fragrance,’ said Fabrice
Pellegrin, Perfumer, Firmenich. ‘I love to
spend time in flower fields to feed my inspira-
tion, while sharing the essence of Grasse with
the next generation of perfumers to keep the
magic of Grasse alive.’
This celebration confirms the importance of
Firmenich’s Naturals Center of Excellence in
Grasse, at the heart of the Group’s world-class
creativity and exceptional palette of ingredi-
ents, cutting across naturals, synthetic, and
biotechnology. Utilizing state-of-the-art tech-
nologies such as CO2 extraction and mastering
traditional processes, the Naturals Center
leverages Firmenich’s leadership in research
and development, innovation, and sustainable
sourcing. Each year in Grasse, the Group
processes around 500 tons of raw materials,
sourced from all over the world, including
rose, jasmine, mimosa, lavenderm and violet
leaves from the Grasse area.
In [Firmenich’s] Naturals Together video
(firmenich.com), you can hear from Firmen-
ich Perfumer, Fabrice Pellegrin about how
the Group harvests the ‘Rose de Mai’ with
its local partners in Grasse. Today, Firmenich
sources over 170 Naturals worldwide in a
sustainable and ethical way from a network of
Joint Ventures at source and strategic partner-
ships with 17 Naturals Together producers, as
well as proprietary production sites.
Deeply anchored in the region, Firmenich
is also a co-founder of GRASSE EXPER-
TISE™, a hallmark of excellence to preserve
the unique expertise of the Grasse region at
every stage of perfumery production and cre-
ation, from flower cultivation and ingredient
extraction, to scientific research and supply.” FN