Hecht & Bannier has become one of the thirty or so companies in the sector to be B Corp certified worldwide, a first in its region. This certification rewards 20 years of commitment to performance and responsibility, both social and environmental. This historic initiative was born of a deep conviction on the part of Gregory Hecht et François Bannier: there is no point in doing things without a conscience and without meaning.
Recognition of a constant effort made over the past 20 years
With a score of 97.2/200, Hecht & Bannier has validated its commitments on September 30, 2022 and joined the closed circle of the hundred or so French companies belonging to the B Lab community. In Provence on the wine field, we are even an exception, being the first to obtain this precious recognition.
This is a source of pride for us, but above all it is recognition of the work carried out by the company since its creation 20 years ago, to be ever more socially and environmentally responsible. Thus, Hecht & Bannier has never hesitated to raise the issues of its sector, notably around its carbon impact.
A producer committed to continuous improvement
- A first carbon assessment to chart a course for the future
Hecht & Bannier carried out its first carbon assessment for the year 2020, going beyond legal obligations, since it includes the entire value chain of its activity, i.e. its direct (scope 1) and indirect (scope 2 and 3) emissions. This assessment was an opportunity to map out the impact monitoring trajectory for the years to come. Hecht & Bannier has set up KPIs to measure and reduce emissions at all levels of the company: travel, transport and delivery vehicles, waste, glass tonnage, etc. With this in mind, it is engaging its entire ecosystem to reduce its impact on the entire value chain.
A new carbon assessment is planned for 2022 in order to measure the impact of the improvement and corrective measures that have been taken.
- Organic objective: protecting people, soil and biodiversity
The B Corp certification is the culmination of more than 20 years of good practices and continuous improvement to produce ever more responsibly and with the utmost transparency. In 2007, we launch the red Languedoc BIO. Then, we decided to switch 100% of our supplies to organic. This objective was reached in 2018 for the Languedoc grapes and will be reached in 2025 for the Provence grapes. In the same spirit of doing better, we have set up an Environmental Charter which includes all our commitments, in particular that of protecting our environment, the soils and terroirs, but also our partner winegrowers and consumers.
- A sustainable activity by nature and to protect and preserve
“By its very nature, winegrowing is not an intensive form of agriculture: with one harvest per year, the plant is perennial when it is well managed, and can produce fruit for several decades” explains François Bannier. Indeed, the company’s responsible approach is part of an agricultural practice that preserves resources.
Through its activity, it contributes in particular to the protection of Mediterranean ecosystems, which are highly threatened by fires. The vines act as natural firewalls, while at the same time preserving biodiversity and the living organisms in the soil. This is particularly the case in the context of the partnerships we set up with organic winegrowers.
- Promoting the regional heritage and contributing to the economic development of the region
Anchored in its community, our winery contributes to the economic development of its region and to the promotion of its heritage, in particular through its AOC wines. It also promotes Provençal viticultural excellence throughout the world, since 60% of our production is destined for export, thus promoting the protection of its integrity and specificities.
In addition, it participates in the economic vitality of the region – grapes cannot be relocated – by collaborating with a hundred or so cooperative wineries and family estates.
Our relationships with our suppliers are long term, some of our partners having been with us for more than 15 years. Finally, Hecht & Bannier has included in its mission the objective of sustainability and decarbonisation in the framework of its development.
“Obtaining B Corp certification is a great source of pride. It crowns 20 years of commitment and efforts to make our company a responsible company and guarantor of the best practices in the wine industry. We are far from having achieved all the objectives we set ourselves, but we are on the right track. We are paving the way for the future of a sustainable viticulture”, Gregory Hecht emphasises.
