THE CONTEXT?

Founded in 1932, the Neisson distillery, the last survivor of the many small mulatto distilleries of the interwar period, has for three generations produced a rum loved by Martiniquais (Z'épol Karé) and now internationally recognized. Today, Neisson exports over 100,000 bottles from Japan to the United States.

• An industrial jewel in the North Caribbean coast, Neisson was awarded the “Ruban bleu de l'écologie” (Blue Ecological Ribbon) in 1999,
• Best white spirit of the year 2005 in USA (Spirit Journal),
• EPV - Entreprise du patrimoine vivant (living heritage company) in 2018, a renowned French label (the only one of Martinique), 
• To date, the Neisson distillery has collected over 200 medals in the various international competitions in which it takes part. 

This small, independent, family-run distillery, rooted in the North Caribbean terroir, has chosen to focus on agriculture that respects the soil and its biodiversity, and on low-volume, traditional, high-quality rum production.

Today, a project is taking shape that will result in the “collateral damage” of depriving the NEISSON distillery of a large proportion of the organic AOC cane it has been cultivating with respect for the environment for 92 years, and the loss of 38 jobs in this area of the Northern Caribbean coast of the island.

HOW?

On the pretext of a theoretical - and of course necessary - renovation of the communal road passing in front of the distillery and crossing the land (originally a private farm road), we would end up with a road whose width is increased from 2.50 m to 4.50 m, over a distance of 3 km. 

WHY?

In fact, a 4m50 width for a two-way concrete road would be the minimum required for issuing new building permits on adjacent land upstream of the distillery, including individual and collective housing estates, which are incompatible with the normal operation of a distillery. 

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES?

They are irrevocable. 

• In environmental terms. The conclusions of an agro-pedological report published in July 2024 by Emmanuel Bourguignon, an eminent international specialist in this field and head of the LAMS laboratory (Microbiological soil analysis laboratory), are irrevocable. It's clear that “the land bordering this road will be heavily impacted, first and foremost by the installation of rainwater drainage nozzles. The water will be channelled and discharged at regular intervals directly into the Neisson plots, creating the risk of erosion and soil loss. This loss of soil translates into the long-term and chronic destruction of the distillery's AOC sugarcane terroirs”. It should be noted that not only has concrete waste already been dumped on the fields, but that the large-diameter drainage pipes would end up directly on the organic AOC sugarcane fields below.
• In terms of pollution induced by the consequent increase in road traffic. For if today, we note by bailiff's report about twenty vehicles/day going up or down the communal road, the Mayor announced on viàATV's August 19 news programme, that the road would be re-routed to accommodate around a hundred vehicles a day, at a total cost of 1 million 400,000 euros. It's therefore legitimate to think about future impacts, given the increase in road traffic of at least 500% and more. Following Emmanuel Bourguignon: “Pollution generated by road traffic (exhaust fumes, fine particles, hydrocarbon leaks) will lead to deposits and accumulations of pollutants in the soil adjacent to the road. In the case of hydrocarbon leaks (oil, petrol, diesel), these will be washed onto the road during each rainy episode, and washed into rainwater drainage nozzles. The Neisson distillery's soils adjacent to the road will be progressively polluted year after year, resulting in a deterioration of the AOC agricultural rum terroirs”,
• And the financial consequences will be disastrous for the distillery, calling into question its production methods and the elaboration of its organic rums. 

In conclusion, this project to widen the local road aims to :

• Wipe off the map an emblematic agricultural distillery and its internationally recognized AOC production of excellence, a faithful ambassador for Martinique throughout the world.
• Destroy jobs in the already devastated North Caribbean coast.
• Undermine the world's only AOC for rum.

The INAO (National Institute of Origin and Quality), the various professional bodies in the French overseas departments' cane-sugar-rum industry, the agricultural sector and civil society, as well as our customers, widely disapprove of this road project, which jeopardizes one of the island's last two independent, family-run distilleries.  

CONSEQUENTLY, with the future of the distillery in jeopardy, managers Claudine and Gregory Neisson-Vernant, along with the entire “Z'épol Karé” team, are appealing for the support of Neisson lovers, whether they live in Martinique or the rest of the world. 

THEY WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD SIGN THIS PETITION AND FORWARD IT AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE.