In the Mercantour, get to know Charlaine Davy, picker and processor of fruits, vegetables and plants Les herbes folles

In Roure in the Tinée valley, Charlaine des " Herbes Folles " produces sweet and savory treats from a local and responsible approach.

Coming from a farming family, Charlaine has always had access to nature. Aware very early of her impact on the environment, she invested herself in the associative world in parallel to her studies in organic cosmetics and well-being, notably alongside the association "Eco-charlie" which fights against food waste.

During her meetings, her observation is striking: unsold food represents a large part of the food waste in France.

I realized that there was a real problem at the source of the food chain, because there is overproduction and difficulties in preserving fruits and vegetables: this generates 32% of the loss at the production stage, it's enormous.

This is how her project was born: to valorize ingredients from her gatherings in the wilderness, from her fruit harvests coming from private untreated orchards or from surplus vegetables discarded from the market, in the service of the local economy .

Then in 2020, Charlaine arrived at the Mercantour National Park, her project in mind..

I quickly realized that there was a real need for a food service and for the sale of local products because we are really in a rural, remote area, it's something that speaks to me, I wanted to give access to responsible consumption.

In 2021 "Les Herbes folles" was born. In jars , she promotes seasonal, organic or untreated fruits and vegetables stamped with the Mercantour National Park spirit. Moreover, she proposes innovative recipes, mixing the unique know-how of the old people of the Tinée valley and exceptional products that she will pick herself in altitude.

The brand Esprit parc national is based on the local, on the representation of the territory and the spirit of collective work, I also want to preserve the herbaceous species in the wild of the National Park, I find it fair to have a traceability, to show how we pick.

Her objective: to have the most responsible approach possible in her activity while giving access to a responsible and healthy food! For this, Charlaine leaves no detail to chance in her production process, she works with local market gardeners and producers and in a shared laboratory.

I also use a service provider for my soups who employs people with disabilities, so it's great because there is also a social value in my products.

Charlaine chooses distributors and artisans close to her, who share her convictions through a human and ethical approach. Alongside them, she seeks to highlight the Mercantour National Park and its unique know-how.