Symrise Sources CENSO-certified Lavandin and Supports CRIEPPAM

In order to secure the basis for one of its natural key raw materials in fragrance creation, Symrise is sourcing CENSO-certified lavandin oil and is supporting CRIEPPAMa French fragrant plants research organization. 

Symrise has undertaken an approach supporting sustainable methods to cultivate resistant lavandin plants that are threatened by threatened by a bacteria known as Stolbur phytoplasma (read more about lavender this year in P&F's October 2013 and August 2013 issues). Tiny cicadas inject the microorganism into the stalk. Once infested, the plants dry out and eventually die. Lavender and lavandin from the Alpes de Haute Provence in France is both a traditional and popular ingredient in perfumery, which signs perfumes, soaps and detergents, with a memorable aromatic note. Their crops represent over 50% and 90%, respectively, of the world’s production and impact the lives of over 2,000 farmers.

On their scent excursion to Manosque, one of the main lavandin growing areas in the region, Symrise said its Symrise Perfumery School students learned about CRIEPPAM and met with representatives of the organization and discovered how they are helping the farmers to fight the disease.

Right after this visit, Symrise started to support the CRIEPPAM. Farmers supporting this initiative use environmental friendly processes to make the plants resistant to the bacteria. During the same visit, the students met with CENSO officials. CENSO is a sustainable development approach for the French lavender and lavandin essential oils sector. It issues a certificate for sustainable cultivation of lavandin, which is granted by the French Ministry of Agriculture. As part of its sustainable sourcing commitment and as one of the first fragrance houses, Symrise moved to procurement of the CENSO certified raw material.

“Through our commitment, we aim to support both the sustainability and the quality of French lavandin," said Béatrice Favre-Bulle, senior vice president fragrance creation home & personal care at Symrise. "This natural fragrance ingredient is crucial for our industry's stakeholders." 

Responsible sourcing is one of the key pillars of the sustainability strategy at Symrise. It already has access to more than 1,500 raw materials for the production of organically certified products.

“With this initiative, we follow our long-term commitment to sustainable sourcing of key raw materials, such as vanilla from Madagascar, which has recently won us the German Sustainability Award”, added Anne Cabotin, vice president sustainability strategy for scent & care at Symrise. “This encourages us to further look for sustainable raw material sources that are of key importance for our fragrance creation and our business.”

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