SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 2021 THE GUIDE


France, and two in the overseas départements, they are much more fairly distributed across the country, giving everyone a chance to experience them. It was Charles de Gaulle who signed the decree that brought the fi rst of these into existence back in 1967. Since then they have grown exponentially in number to cover 16.5 per cent of France’s territory, with 4.4m people calling them home. Michaël Weber is president of the Fédération des Parcs naturels régionaux de France. Here’s how he describes his 56 parks: “They are special areas with natural and cultural characteristics, dedicated to reconciling human activities and the preservation of the environment, and to promoting development and innovation while highlighting the natural, landscaped and cultural heritage.” www.parcs-naturels-regionaux.fr/ les-parcs


ORGANIC FARM VISITS


Organic farming is booming in France, just as it is all across Europe right now. According to France’s main organic agriculture agency, Agence Bio, in 2019 (the latest fi gures) there were around 47,000 producers plying their trade on 2.3m hectares of land.


Given French people’s love of


the terroir and their desire to understand food production, there are many organic farms offering public visits and overnight stays.


Go green in every sense at a select spot in one of France’s regional natural parks, such as the Marais de Contentin


Stay and work on a farm This is one way to ensure a very cheap and very green holiday. WWOOF is an organisation that aims to reconnect people with the land by encouraging them to volunteer in organic farming. Sign up via the website (for a small fee) and they will put you in touch with organic farmers all over France. You then choose which farm you want to work on in return for food and accommodation. Some farms accept families, although the children are not required to do any work. wwoof.fr/en


FarmStayPlanet This company, an affi liate of Booking.com, offers farm-stay holidays all over the world, and


has a great selection in France. They explain their philosophy: “As our societies have become more industrialised and sanitised, the call of the land is not just a nostalgia thing – it is also a promise of mental and physical health and wellbeing that our urbanised, modernised brains subconsciously yearn for.” The following are included on their website: a vineyard gîte near Avignon; a rustic farm stay in an old manor house in the Pays de la Loire; a working organic farm with animals and organic apple juice and cider in Normandy; an organic


farmhouse stay near Pont d’Arc, in the Ardèche; and a traditional French farmhouse with an outdoor pool near Bergerac. www.farmstayplanet.com/ farmstays/category/organic-farms/ france-1


Have fun and be kind to the planet on an organic beer brewing holiday


Organic vineyards Wine tasting should be part of every French holiday in our humble opinion! And if you want to stay green, it’s not a problem – simply opt for an organic vineyard visit. According to Agence Bio, there are 94,000 hectares of French land dedicated to organic wine- growing, putting France in third place globally behind Spain and


Italy. And it is a movement which is growing as winegrowers are keen to safeguard the terroir against environmental damage. “Spearheading the movement are the regions bordering the Mediterranean and Nouvelle-Aquitaine,” the agency states. “Special mention should go to the Vendée and the Bouches-du Rhône.” Here are some organic vineyards worth visiting: Domaine Fondugues- Pradugues, in Ramatuelle, in the Var. (www.fondugues.com) Château de Chambert, near Cahors. (www. chateaudechambert.com) Château Frely, in


Saussignac, in the Dordogne. (chateaufeely.com) Domaine Auriol, between Narbonne and Carcassonne (www.saint-auriol.com)


Organic beer


The Brasserie de Nettancourt, in the Meuse, offers courses in brewing organic beer. Chief brewer Jean-Luc Poncin shares his techniques and passion for this lovely drink. But you’ll have to be patient: it takes at least a month for your brew to develop, after which you’ll receive 12 bottles, with personalised labels. brasseriedenettancourt.fr FT


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