The International Federation of Essential Oils and Aroma Trades' (IFEAT) 2026 Sustainability Awards People’s Choice Award nominees spotlight a new wave of innovation in renewable feedstocks, circular chemistry, regenerative farming and ethical sourcing.
Zalabí has won the People’s Choice Award at the International Federation of Essential Oils and Aroma Trades’ (IFEAT) 2026 Sustainability Awards, earning the most votes from conference delegates for its approach to sustainable Mediterranean aromatic crop production.
The Spanish company was among 12 nominees showcasing innovations in renewable feedstocks, circular chemistry, regenerative agriculture and ethical sourcing. The projects span the global flavor and fragrance supply chain, demonstrating how companies are addressing the environmental and socioeconomic challenges associated with ingredient production.
Zalabí combines organic and regenerative farming practices with precision irrigation, renewable energy and circular distillation, offering an integrated approach to improving the sustainability of natural aromatic ingredients.
The People’s Choice Award is determined by conference delegates voting through the IFEAT conference app, independently of the awards’ main evaluation process.
IFEAT’s evaluation framework allocates 35% of its scoring to environmental impact, 35% to socioeconomic benefits, 20% to scalability and replicability, and 10% to engagement. Applications were assessed using a methodology developed by sustainability consultancy Quantis, with shortlisted projects reviewed by an independent expert jury.
Waste Becomes a Resource
Several nominees demonstrated how existing waste streams can serve as valuable inputs for ingredient production.
Dutch biotechnology company ChainCraft, through its SensiCraft project, is converting potato juice left over from starch production into renewable fatty acids for flavor and fragrance applications. Its planned full-scale facility is designed to process 300,000 tonnes of potato juice and produce 20,000 tonnes of renewable fatty acids annually.
The approach could provide alternatives to conventional fossil-based chemicals and selected palm- and coconut-derived feedstocks, creating additional value from an established food-processing stream.
Norwegian biorefinery specialist Borregaard is pursuing another route to renewable chemistry with EuroVanillin Supreme, made from spruce sourced from PEFC-certified forests. According to IFEAT, the ingredient generates approximately 90% lower CO₂ emissions than guaiacol-based fossil vanillin, offering a potential lower-carbon alternative without changing its end-use function.
IFF’s Conscious Collection, developed through its LMR Naturals business, also targets improvements in ingredient processing. Its approach uses a plant-based extraction solvent alongside upcycled, natural and renewable CO₂, aiming to reduce reliance on conventional petrochemical solvents while preserving the sensory complexity of natural extracts. IFEAT reports that these approaches have enabled the first COSMOS-approved absolutes.
Regenerative Farming and Supply-Chain Resilience
Agricultural initiatives featured prominently among the nominees, highlighting the role of farming practices in strengthening both environmental performance and long-term access to botanical raw materials.
India’s Plant Lipids, through its Nurture 360 Chilli Program, works with more than 15,000 farming families. IFEAT reports $53.5 million paid directly to farmers over four seasons and a 22% increase in soil organic carbon recorded by two government laboratories. The program combines regenerative farming incentives with integrated pest management and rapid payments.
In Indonesia, PT Jutarasa Abadi grows patchouli beneath young cinnamon trees, providing interim income while cinnamon matures. Residual cinnamon trunks are used as distillation fuel, while intercropping provides ground cover and helps retain soil on steep slopes.
Synthite’s SENS program in India is restoring Naatu Sampangi, a native single-petal tuberose. The initiative covers 92 acres and involves 187 smallholder farmers, with more than one-third of participating farms women-led. IFEAT reports 30% fewer agricultural inputs, alongside regular electronic payments and living-income benchmarking.
Western Australia's Main Camp WA is integrating renewable energy and resource efficiency into essential-oil production across approximately 250 hectares of Eucalyptus polybractea. Its approach combines onsite wind power, precision irrigation, biomass recycling and livestock grazing.
Together with Zalabí's winning initiative, these projects underscore how sustainable ingredient production increasingly depends on healthy soils, efficient water use, renewable energy and economically viable farming systems.
Water Stewardship Gains Ground
Indonesian ingredient producer PT Indesso Aroma reports almost 30% lower water intensity across three manufacturing sites through wastewater recycling and rainwater harvesting. Treatment sludge is converted into compost, while the company has helped approximately 300 patchouli farmers in Southeast Sulawesi build rainwater ponds to improve dry-season water access.
The project connects factory-level efficiency with agricultural resilience, an increasingly important consideration as water stress threatens supply chains in vulnerable growing regions.
Ethical Sourcing and Biodiversity Protection
Other nominees focused on strengthening the relationship between natural resources, community livelihoods and responsible sourcing.
Vinasamex, in northern Vietnam, has developed a traceable organic cinnamon supply chain involving Tày, H’Mông and Dao communities. IFEAT reports that women represent approximately 80% of participants and hold around 70% of farmer-group leadership roles.
In South Africa, Berje's buchu program combines cultivation with biodiversity protection and formal access-and-benefit-sharing arrangements involving the National Khoi and San Council and the South African San Council. The initiative aims to reduce pressure on wild plants while ensuring Indigenous communities share in the benefits derived from the resource.
Avilan, operating in Venezuela's Bolívar-Amazonas region, sources tonka beans through local collection networks, using fallen fruit while leaving trees standing. Its FairWild-certified operation has reportedly increased harvester income approximately 12-fold since 2020. Purchases of angostura bark also help extend income opportunities beyond the short tonka season.
The projects illustrate how ethical sourcing can move beyond certification toward longer-term economic relationships that give local communities a tangible stake in maintaining the natural resources underpinning ingredient supply.
