LANDSCAPE OF BRIGHTLY COLOURED FIELDS near Sarraud, Vaucluse, France. (N44°01' E05°24') On the Vaucluse plateau, an arid limestone upland in the east of the region, lavender fields blossom in the Mediterranean summer heat. Cultivation of fine lavender began about 1920; the crop was distilled to produce an essential oil for perfume. Now, however, it faces competition from lavandin and synthetic products. By 1992, annual production had dropped to 25 tons (a sixth of production totals in 1960). This decline is all the more worrying in that lavender cultivation, which makes use of arid land, supports rural communities in mountainous areas where agriculture is in decline. A program to relaunch and modernize this activity was started in 1994. In 2000, 9,884 acres (4,000 ha) produced 65 tons of essential oil (70 per cent of world output), and a further 1,235 acres (500 hectares) produced flowers and bouquets. The perfumed, purple carpets that are strewn over the landscapes of Haute Pr

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