Chanel invests in 100,000 sqm of jasmine fields to secure No. 5 perfume supply

Fashion and beauty giant Chanel has purchased additional swathes of land in the south of France to secure its supply of jasmine and other varieties, essential for its famed No. 5 perfume.

The luxury group revealed it had bought up 10 hectares (100,000 square metres) of land, supplementing the 20 hectares it already utilises, according to a Reuters report.

It bought the flower fields in Grasse, France, out of concerns that the crops used in its best-selling perfume are disappearing.

Chanel No. 5 is one of Chanel's most iconic products. Formulated in 1921 by French businesswoman and socialite Coco Chanel, the scent – imbued with jasmine, rose, sandalwood and vanilla – is said to have revolutionised the way that women smell.

The jasmine required for the perfume is harvested by hand in a delicate ritual, and that grown in Grasse, which itself is an iconic perfume producing region, reportedly has a specific scent.