Cognac brand Hennessy announced the rollout of its Forest Destination regeneration programme this week to coincide with the 'International Day of Forests' celebrated by the United Nations, which took place on 21 March.
First initiated in 2020, the programme aims to regenerate 50,000 hectares of forest by 2030.
Forest Destination Programme
With its Forest Destination programme, Hennessy, which is part of the LVMH luxury goods group, is pursuing on-the-ground projects in all the regions where the Maison is present.
In France, the drinks group is working with the Office National des Forêts to replant 27,055 oak saplings across an area of 250,000 square meters in Braconne, in the Charente region, which was devastated by a storm in 1999.
In 2020, Hennessy started collaborating with Reforest’Action to take action in local ecosystems in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria,, as well as undertake projects across China and the United States, expanding the reach of the programme.
In Kenya, the cognac and its local partner Trees for Kenya are supporting the reforestation of part of the protected forest on Mount Kenya by planting 250,000 trees of 30 different species over 400 hectares.
In the United States, Hennessy is aiming to replant 100,000 trees across a 93-hectare area to promote the return of biodiversity and create new local wildlife habitats in the state of Oregon, an area ravaged by fires.
And in Madagascar, the brand is working with local partners to build a “School of the Forest” to train young farmers and heighten awareness among schoolchildren.
The Maison said that it will support the planting of 60,000 saplings of various species in a 40-hectare area.
Read More: Moët Hennessy Striving To Convince Suppliers To Adopt Sustainable Practices
Hennessy Reliance On Forests
Since Hennessy was founded 250 years ago, the brand has had an intimate relationship with forests, it said in a statement. The quality of the oak for the casks in which eaux-de-vie is matured plays an essential role in the production of Hennessy cognac.
Hennessy President Laurent Boillot commented, "Hennessy has always maintained a long-term vision, seeing far into space and time. Today, the future of humankind depends on our ability to take up the daunting challenge of preserving and regenerating forest ecosystems. This task goes far beyond individual interests.
"With ‘Forest Destination’, we want to act, participate in a collective movement and contribute concretely to the common good."
Last year, the group played a role in planting over 2.2 million trees through various projects around the world.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest Drinks news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
