With Earth Day just around the corner, we’d love to shine the spotlight on the amazing and unique sustainability efforts behind your favorite salts.

Louis Sel’s providers, Gilles Morel and Matthieu Le Chantoux and their team, are independent salt farmers (paludiers) in Guérande, Brittany. The salt marsh is a delicate environment, a living organism, and our providers not only take care in working and protecting their surroundings but also in how they hand-harvest and craft the product as well.

For example, since June of 2018, they have been using solar energy to dry the hand-harvested sea salt in order to preserve and harness the power of nature’s energy without altering its trace elements or using fossil fuels. They developed a solar oven and are the first salt harvesters on the Atlantic Coast to use this method!

On top of the eco-friendly benefits, this solar-powered process also allows for a longer shelf-life and prolongs the quality and nature taste of the aromatic salts. After harvesting, the salt is not chemically enhanced or altered, meaning there are no preservatives added. No matter which Louis Sel salt is your favorite, from the fleur de sel to the aromatic herbs, it’s this special process that helps upholds its authentic, unique taste.

Throughout the process of harvesting, our providers’ prime focus is on preserving the ecosystem in their area. The salt marsh is home to migratory wildlife, including the avocette (it’s actually the bird that is featured on our packaging!) Protecting and preparing safe nesting areas for these species is important as our paludiers know they are the temporary custodians of this delicately balanced ecosystem.

If you look closely in this photo Karen took on her last trip to Brittany, you can see the footprints of the avocette!

Louis Sel takes great pride and honor working with Gilles, Matthieu and our partners in Brittany knowing the pride they take in respecting the environment to create the salts we all know and love.