17th November 2023

Distillerie de Fonds Préville in Martinique, owned by Héritiers Crassous de Médeuil, has become the first distillery in the French West Indies to be certified against the Bonsucro Production Standard. The achievement is built on the distillery’s strong sense of corporate social responsibility, and its willingness to continuously question its practices to identify opportunities for evolution.

A unique natural context

Distillerie de Fonds Préville produces the internationally recognised Rhum J.M. The distillery is based at the foot of Mount Pelee, an active volcano, and by the river Roches. The volcanic soil is rich in nutrients, ideal for growing sugarcane, while the water from the river has been filtered by the volcanic rocks, making it extremely pure. The distillery is committed to protecting and enhancing this unique natural environment.

In 2021 the distillery initiated a project called Engagés pour le Développement Durable de nos Ecosystèmes et de notre Nature (EDDEN), to support its ambition for sustainable development. The EDDEN project centres on three pillars – the cultivation and protection of the soil, circular production approaches, and staff engagement. As part of the EDDEN project, the distillery wanted to analyse the impact of its production practices on its local ecosystems and employees, beginning with the cultivation of sugarcane, all the way to its harvest and processing. This led Distillerie de Fonds Préville to pursue Bonsucro certification.

Bonsucro: the obvious choice

“Bonsucro was an obvious choice as we developed our EDDEN approach. […] In fact, we were hearing more and more about Bonsucro at trade shows, in discussions with our importers, and some of our staff.” said Emmanuel Bécheau, Rhum J.M & Distillerie de Fonds Préville’s Director.

The Bonsucro certification process is extensive, and all three pillars of the EDDEN project are covered by the Bonsucro Production Standard. Distillerie de Fonds Préville was able to go into detail regarding its practices – environmental, human or societal – and use the results to identify opportunities to improve the business.

Asking the right questions gives valuable insight

To become certified, Distillerie de Fonds Préville spent several months gathering information and having conversations with employees regarding its production practices. As a result, Distillerie de Fonds Préville was able to gain valuable insight into the lives of its workers in the fields.

The distillery found that field workers’ access to sanitary facilities and fresh water was variable, depending on the plot and its proximity to the distillery. Some plots had little access, but the issue hadn’t been raised by staff before the certification process began. “Bonsucro certification enabled us to ask ourselves the right questions and to take into account this issue.” said Fanny Pougeoise, Quality Health, Safety and Environment Manager.

The distillery installed mobile toilets in the field and a water tank on a trailer, thereby ensuring all workers had the same access to these facilities throughout the day.

Distillerie de Fonds Préville has now set up an anonymous suggestion box, to encourage employees to suggest changes that would make the distillery a better place to work.

Preparing for the audits allowed the distillery to ensure its production practices, and any changes made to them, were consistent, well-implemented and in-line with the distillery’s environmental and social commitments.

Identifying areas for future improvement

Now it has achieved certification, Distillerie de Fonds Préville is already looking to the future. For the remainder of 2023, the distillery will be holding workshops to discuss and develop ways to continuously improve the business.

It has also become a member of the United Nations’ Global Compact, a voluntary initiative to help companies adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies in the areas of human rights, labour law and environmental protection.

The distillery has identified several areas of its production practices it wants to focus on improving in the coming years, which are aligned with the three pillars of the EDDEN project. These include developing their composting activity to better look after the soil, increasing the extent of training offered to employees, and experimenting with new nursery techniques to improve sugarcane yields without the use of pesticides and agrochemicals, which will also help protect their water supply.

After several months examining how its production practices align with its environmental and social commitments, and making improvements, Distillerie de Fonds Préville has been rewarded with the internationally recognised Bonsucro certification. It marks them out as a sustainable player in the sugarcane sector, one that is committed to looking after both its natural environment and its staff.

If you are interested in learning more about certification in the rum industry, contact our Senior Membership Manager, Rafael Seixas.