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05th
Feburary 2011
Fond Doux
joins Green Globe Family
Fond
Doux Holiday Plantation in Soufriere has taken
the practice of sustainable tourism on its property
a step further by becoming a certified member
of Green Globe International.
This prestigious position gives the plantation,
and by extension St. Lucia, greater visibility
on the international market place, and makes
it a recognized leader in environmental conservation
in the island that businesses in tourism and
other sectors can follow.
Green Globe is based upon the Agenda 21 plan
which was originally endorsed by 182 heads of
state at the Rio Summit of 1992 and provided
a set of environmentally sustainable principles
for the travel and tourism industry.
“We are pleased to achieve Green Globe
certification, and this will certainly help
us in continuing the conservation work we have
been doing,” Said Eroline Lamontagne of
the Fond Doux Holiday Plantation.
Some Green Globe Certification areas the plantation
will be implementing are - the re-use, recycling
and minimization of waste; energy efficiency,
conservation, and management; waste water management;
land use and management plans; involvement of
staff members, customers and the community in
environmental conservation programs; partnerships
for sustainable development and corporate social
responsibility.
Located amid the lush, tropical foliage in the
heart of St Lucia’s World Heritage Site,
Fond Doux is one of the oldest working plantations
in the Caribbean. It is one of three original
estates established in 1742 by three Devaux
brothers, who came from Martinique to work a
2000 acre area of Soufriere lands granted to
their father, Guillaume Devaux, by King Louis
XIV in 1713 in honor of service to crown and
country.
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The Fond Doux
plantation went through periods of inactivity
and several changes of ownership. It was in
a state of dereliction for 40 years before
it was purchased in the late 1970’s
by Kirby Lamontagne, the deceased father of
Lyton Lamontagne, the present owner.
Lyton and his wife Eroline, who are natives
of Soufriere, moved in about 19 years ago
and began remodeling and refurbishing the
plantation buildings. They also attempted
to purge the soil of powerful chemicals used
in the cultivation of bananas in the 80’s,
by using organic farming methods in the systematic
planting of cocoa which is now the main crop,
as well as a vast variety of fruits and flowers.
Sustainable tourism activities at Fond Doux
are guided by an environmental policy which
was drafted when the plantation joined HERITAS,
and the policy is also consistent with the
Green Globe Certification requirements.
The Lamontagnes are also on a mission of preserving
St Lucia’s architectural heritage: they
purchase abandoned colonial buildings throughout
the island and rebuild and restore them in
the gardens of Fond Doux as holiday accommodations.
Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of
Cornwall, two of many celebrities who have
visited the plantation, gave their nod of
approval to the Lamontagnes for the conservation
work they have been doing, particularly in
the practice of organic farming and the restoration
of St Lucia’s colonial buildings.
Discuss
Story
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