Givaudan’s first initiative in farming partnerships has been finalized through the signature of a long term exclusive agreement with local partner GaiaOne and Kebun Rimau SDN BHD in the Malaysian state of Sabah, on the island of Borneo.
The partners have committed to develop sustainable plantations and local distillation of patchouli, which the company said marks a significant development in Givaudan’s ethical sourcing initiatives, being one of the first long term agreements made directly with a grower to sustainably plant dedicated fields exclusively for the company.
Givaudan requires relationships with supplier partners whose business philosophies reflect its own and with whom it can work to ensure that oil quality, availability and social responsibility are the focus of every step from planting to distillation.
“We are very excited to be working with GaiaOne to bring high quality, sustainable ingredients to our perfumers," said Stephane Zwaans, head of origination at Givaudan. “The company reflects Givaudan’s sustainability aspirations and the Kebun Rimau plantation is a wonderful example of the difference that vision can make to a business. The distinctive scent of patchouli oil is prized by perfumers, is key to many classic fragrance types and deserving of our commitment to its sustainability.”
Nicholas Graham, CEO of GaiaOne, said: “We are pleased to see this project move forward as it represents everything that we believe in. Relationships such as the Givaudan/GaiaOne partnership are the future for natural fragrance products and we very much hope that this is the first of many sustainable and transparent projects we will jointly nurture.”
