Givaudan’s involvement as a force for good

Patchouli oil is an iconic product for Givaudan, and for over 10 years, we have made great strides in securing a sustainable and stable supply of patchouli oil.

Our efforts also address environmental protection, biodiversity and social development for the communities in which we source.

With the development of our I-Source application, we have achieved full digital traceability over the last several years. The collection of valuable data in the field permits a more efficient monitoring of harvests, and provides insights that help protect the product’s quality and supply.

Following a project targeting distillation practices, with the help of the Earthworm Foundation’s assessment of the impact of patchouli oil production on the local environment, we invested in improving the energy efficiency of the distillation units. Another project – growing from an earlier collaboration with the international non-governmental organisation Swisscontact, funding from the Givaudan Foundation and strong partnerships with producers, their families and local government actors – focused on improving the livelihoods of individual producer families while protecting natural resources. Thus we trained approximately 1,000 patchouli producers and more than 320 operators on environmentally friendly agricultural and distillation practices, respectively. 

Economic, social and living standards are also a focus. The Givaudan Foundation has collaborated with an international non-governmental organisation in Indonesia, working jointly to improve the livelihoods of individual producer families. We and our partners have helped the communities secure increased incomes through the sale of leaves for distillation, while projects aiming at improving farmer household’s financial and nutritional practices will provide additional benefits.