HVE 3 CERTIFIED

The qualification of «High Environmental Value», is based on results indicators related to biodiversity, phytosanitary strategy, fertilizer and water management.

Objectives of the HVE label

It is a certification intended to adopt a global approach to sustainable development and respect for the environment in viticulture. The general idea is to encourage winegrowers to comply with good environmental practices and to encourage the protection of nature. In this sense, it obliges winemakers to respect practices according to a framework that favours the environment, thus to the development of products that are more respectful of nature than in so-called «conventional» agriculture. In practical terms, the HVE certification allows the agricultural operator to promote its products using the HVE label and logo to stand out from the others and increase its commercial development.

What is the label regulation

The HVE certification is regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture and the associated legal texts (ministerial decrees and decrees/ Decree of 20 June 2011 implementing Article D. 617-4 of the Rural Code) can be consulted online. As already stated, these texts originate from the Grenelle de l’Environnement and are part of a global approach to respect for the environment, which focuses on the field of farming. This regulation distinguishes 3 levels of environmental certification: level 1, level 2, then level 3.

Only level 3 allows access to the HVE label. For more details on these different levels, it will be necessary to refer to the texts according to decrees of 20 June 2011. To use the HVE label, the operator must therefore obtain a certification validated by independent approved bodies. To do this, its winery will have to demonstrate by the facts compliance with indicators covering 4 themes:

For each of the 4 themes above are applied indicators for which a rating is assessed by the certifier. For each theme and in different items, a “bonus” in points is assigned according to levels of “good environmental practices”. Based on this item rating, thus the number of “bonus points” obtained, the operator validates a theme and when the 4 themes are validated, it can be certified HVE.

To be certified level 3, therefore HVE , there is therefore for the operator an obligation of results regarding the compliance with the thresholds defined by the various indicators. According to this scoring principle, it should be noted that phytosanitary treatments are allowed, only the limitation of their frequency is noted, so you can treat your vineyard, but if you treat it less than the regional average, you will still have bonus points…