It has become a symbol of Provence in southern France, but there is a warning that it’s under threat from climate change.<br /><br />Lavender is in decline because of drought-like conditions and disease-carrying insects, causing a major headache for scientists and farmers attempting to find solutions.<br /><br />Eric Chaisse, an expert at the Provence-based agricultural research institute CRIEPPAM, said: “Lavender in Provence is effectively endangered, because in recent years the plant has been subjected to the effects of climate change that brought a lot less rain in the spring and mostly in the autumn. <br /><br />“This affects the lifespan of lavender. There’s also a small cicada, a micro-bacteria transmitting leaf hopper, and in very dry weather there are lots of them.”<br /><br />And a lot is at stake. As well as attracting holidaymakers, lavender oil is highly sought after for perfume and cosmetics.<br /><br />Eric Chaisse said: “Instead of having very long plant ears with a number of large flowers, we have smaller ones, underdeveloped and either missing or weakened. So we have fewer parts with essential oil.”<br /><br />Solutions being looked at include better water distribution and slowing down evaporation from the soil, but also spraying the plants with a protective mix of clay and water and developing varieties more resistant to dry conditions.<br />
