Ethical sourcing and biodiversity will be the main topics at the third Asia Pacific edition of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, which takes place in Hong Kong on 11-13 November 2013 and is organised by Organic Monitor.
Rapid economic development and industrialisation have adversely impacted Asian ecosystems; the region has lost 95% of its primary, uncut forests, while individual countries have lost 70-90% of their natural habitats.
The opening keynote, delivered by Dr Muhammed Majeed, founder of ingredients supplier Sabinsa, will explore a major ethical dilemma faced by many Asian countries, the choice between economic advancement or conservation. Following speakers will cover best practices in raw material ethical sourcing, showing how economic and ecological development may be intertwined. Additionally, the use of biodiversity charters and sourcing programmes will be debated.
Novel green ingredients, especially those of Asian origin, will also be featured, with areas of focus including ayurvedic ingredients, traditional Chinese herbs, marine ingredients, emerging natural actives and sustainable processing methods. Dr Fred Zuelli from Mibelle Biochemistry will also discuss the sustainable harvesting of actives from agricultural raw materials.
When it comes to regulations and standards, meanwhile, Asia is subject to a deal of fragmentation. For the first time, the summit will give an update on the legislative framework for cosmetic products in Europe, the US and Asian countries. Details will be given of new EU regulations, which are increasingly seen as a barrier to market entry by non-European brands. The mushrooming of green standards will also be under discussion.
The three day programme ends with two interactive workshops: a technical one, tackling natural and organic cosmetic formulation issues; and a marketing workshop, highlighting the opportunities presented by social media and digital marketing.
