Objective

To accelerate the agroecological transition on a territorial scale.

To promote our soils as carbon sinks in the fight against global warming.

To invest in research and development to preserve Rémy Cointreau terroirs and their singularity.

To commit with winemakers and farmers to deploy agroecological farming practices that not only increase soil resilience, but make a positive climate and biodiversity impact.

Description

Rémy Cointreau defined its targets and affirmed its CSR Charter with the motto Sustainable Exception. The Group adopted the “Terroirs, People and Time” motto from 2017 and then defining its Purpose in 2020 to demonstrate its irreversible commitment to a cause that it not only wholeheartedly supports, but over‑delivers on.

This CSR plan highlights the Group’s special efforts around actions associated with quantified targets and a long-term vision of ambitions to preserve the planet around its three CSR pillars: preserving the Terroirs , committing to People and respecting the value of Time. Rémy Cointreau’s ambitions are structured around Sustainable Development Goal’s (SDGs) as defined by the UN. 

Preserving the Terroirs

Soils can be part of the solution in the fight against climate change. Every Rémy Cointreau product is the expression of its terroir: the unique soils, climate, and biodiversity of a region. Rémy Cointreau are determined to protect the uniqueness of their terroirs against the threat of climate change, so that the skills and traditions built up over generations to make their champagnes and spirits can be perpetuated. To achieve that, they want to be a pioneer in the agroecological transformation of their territories, working alongside their local communities to promote regenerative agriculture practices. Healthy soils, with flourishing biodiversity are more resilient and can act as powerful carbon sinks: our soils can be part of the solution in the fight against climate change.

The Commitments

1. Accelerate the transition to regenerative agriculture in Rémy Cointreau terroirs: Rémy Cointreau started the transition process by initiating the certification of their Maisons’ agricultural supplies. They then wanted to go further by encouraging them to adopt regenerative farming practices to strengthen the resilience of their regions. This is the goal of the “New Generation Terroirs” plan: All Rémy Cointreau estates are now converting to agroecology practices, and they want to bring all our partners on board by 2030.
2. Investing in R&D to sustainably protect Rémy Cointreau terroirs and their specificity: Global warming is a challenge for Rémy Cointreau Maisons. It impacts the vital development metrics of raw materials – grapes, barley, oranges, etc. – used to make their wines and spirits. These rapid developments have led the Group and each Maison to invest to protect their terroirs and those of their partners. To achieve this, Rémy Cointreau collaborate with research institutes and invest in new technology. Rémy Cointreau aim for 100% identified resistant varieties for agricultural raw materials by 2030.
3. Biodiversity: an indicator of the health of Rémy Cointreau terroirs: For Rémy Cointreau, biodiversity is a priority. It is a key indicator of soil fertility and resilience and thereby contributes to the uniqueness of the countryside and of their spirits. Rémy Cointreau integrate its conservation into their activities by setting up restoration and protection initiatives adapted to the specific needs of our terroirs. By 2025, they want all their Maisons to take on at least one biodiversity project.

 

The Actions

1. Certifying agricultural supply: Rémy Cointreau consider that their journey towards agroecology involves guarantees external to the Group, which testify to their progress and commit them in the long term. Recognised certifications play this role with each of their Maisons. These certifications commit their partners to a sustainable approach and also act as guidelines for their farming practices.
2. Converting Rémy Cointreau estates to agroecology: Agroecology advocates farming methods that attach great importance to soil health and aim to improve the use of natural resources (water, biodiversity). The challenge to date is for them to measure the ecological health of the soils, to carry out experiments before scaling up, and to bring employees and partners on board.
3. Embarking partners in the agroecological transition: The agroecological transition involves the entire ecosystem. This is because more than 95% of raw material supplies come from Rémy Cointreau partner farmers and winegrowers. Within each of their Maisons, their experts interact with their partners in order to raise awareness, train and support them in the transition and monitor the health of the soils over the long term. It is necessary to explain the reasons behind the sustainability of practices, the transmissibility of terroirs and long-term commitment.
4. Genesis: measuring the impact of our agricultural practices on soil: If soil is to play its part in delaying climate change and preserving biodiversity, we need to know it better. For this, Genesis has been supporting Rémy Cointreau for the past 3 years. Using its scientific diagnosis, Rémy Cointreau can assess the impact of their agricultural practices with the aim of improving long term health of soils, their yields, and their resistance to climatic and biological risks. The Genesis rating is based on four essential pillars to assess soil quality and sustainability: carbon (quantity stored in the soil), biodiversity (biological functioning of the soil), water (soil’s retention capacity) and its fertility (soil’s capacity to produce).
5. R&D: identifying climate and disease-resistant varieties: The challenge is to secure the production of raw materials. Rémy Contreau’s R&D departments, in partnership with the academic world, successfully identify and test them.
6. Protecting Local Forests: Rémy Martin has been a patron of the ONF for more than 10 years. Their cognac Maison supports actions to protect or reforest the local woodland, including the conservation of the common oak, which is used to make the ageing casks of its eaux de-vie.

Partners

Genesis (the world’s leading ecological soil health rating agency)

INRAE (research for Agriculture, Food and Environment), France

BNIC (National Interprofessional Office of Cognac), France

CVC (Charentais Vineyard Conservatory), France

ONF (National Forests Office), France

CPIE (Center for Environmental Initiatives), Périgord-Limousin - France

Results

As of December 2023:

• Action 1: In Champagne, Telmont has 80% Organic Agriculture (AB) and High Environmental Value (HVE) certified land. All Rémy Martin delivery companies are committed to HVE certification, and those at Domaine des Hautes Glaces are AB-certified. In 2023, 82% of the agricultural raw materials produced or purchased by the Maisons are committed to certification, compared to 64% in 2021. At this rate, Rémy Cointreau remain confident that they will be able to engage all their terroirs in the process by 2025.
• Action 2: All Maisons are currently converting to agroecological practices. For more than 10 years, Domaine des Hautes Glaces has used crop rotation, plant cover, crops without synthetic inputs and agroforestry. It sources ingredients from the local terroir (barley, spelt, AB certified oats). Metaxa collaborates with their agricultural partners on Samos advising them and accompanying them on their agroecological transition. Of the 87 partner farmers, 35 follow this annual programme, which consists of analysing soil, making a diagnosis, and proposing appropriate improvements. Metaxa has also conducted trials within the Estate, a vineyard covering 1.6 hectares that acts as a test and demonstration plot to convince their partners about the effectiveness of these practices.
• Action 3: At Rémy Martin, 5 events with 460 partner winegrowers were held in January 2023. Maisons actively work to strengthen their expertise, talk with each other to build their knowledge, and then share their findings with our partners. The challenge is to adopt agroecological practices in their specific terroir, starting from an existing toolbox: precision agriculture, plant cover, increased crop rotation, minimisation of inputs, protection of biodiversity, etc.
• Action 4: To date, this evaluation has involved about thirty partner winegrowers and Rémy Martin estates, about ten farms in Trièves, suppliers of Domaine des Hautes Glaces, and Bruichladdich distillery.
• Action 5: Domaine des Hautes Glaces is teaming up with INRAE in France to test old varieties of barley seeds, with the aim of developing varieties that are more resistant to heat and drought. The VIBRACC project, in partnership with INRAE, BNIC and CVC aims to find grape varieties resistant to mildew, powdery mildew and black rot (the most common diseases), while showing resilience to global warming, by the natural cross between Vidal blanc and other resistant varieties. Anti-parasite research with Cointreau is working to protect orange and bitter orange trees threatened by citrus greening disease.
• Action 6: Since 2021, alongside CPIE, it has participated in the financing of the “Eco-Horte: a school forest” project. 

“For several years now, the ONF has been engaged in a profound reflection on the problems of global warming to make forests more resilient. It is possible that, in the future, you will be able to come across new forest species in the forest of Horte… To check that out, you will have to come back!” Frédéric VILLELÉGIER, Regional Forest Technician of the forest of Horte “

Website

https://www.remy-cointreau.com/en/csr/preserving-our-terroirs/

Downloads

Videos

Photo gallery