Givaudan has finalised the first initiative in its Farming Partnerships scheme by signing 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, a raw material used in both fine fragrance and functional perfumery, exclusively for Givaudan.
This announcement is claimed to mark 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.
Stephane Zwaans, Head of Origination at Givaudan, said: “We are very excited to be working with GaiaOne to bring high quality, sustainable ingredients to our perfumers. 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 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.”
“Partnering with Givaudan is a realisation of our vision,” added Halizah Harris, Director, Kebun Rimau SDN BHD. “We believe that moving beyond the monoculture plantations that are common here is important for Borneo and its economy. We identified patchouli as a crop that we could grow well. Our philosophies are based upon respect for the earth and the environment at every production stage. We look forward to developing our plantation further as part of the GaiaOne project and a Givaudan partner.”
