Givaudan Creates Foundation to Reinforce Commitment to Charitable Causes

12 Jun 2014 --- Givaudan has announced the creation of a foundation aimed at reinforcing its commitment to charitable causes and its involvement in the communities in which it operates. The Givaudan Foundation has been founded in Geneva as an independent non-profit organisation.

It will initiate and support projects, as well as grant donations, in the areas of humanitarian action, health, nutrition, science, education, development, environment and sustainable development. The Foundation will focus on three main areas in which Givaudan is already engaged and where the company’s expertise and experience can be leveraged to make a difference: Communities at Source (support of local communities from which Givaudan sources natural ingredients), Blindness and Family Nutrition.

Givaudan has pioneered sustainable sourcing of natural ingredients for fragrances and flavours, and the creation of the Givaudan Foundation marks a significant step in our commitment. “We are very conscious of the intricate interdependence that exists between our company and the communities in which we operate and we are very proud to be able to provide our support and make a meaningful difference in the lives of people”, said Matthias Währen, Chief Financial Officer of Givaudan, and President of the Givaudan Foundation Board of Trustees.

The Givaudan Foundation has already launched several projects in Haiti, Laos, Madagascar and Comoros Islands for instance, where it provides support to education, housing and sanitation initiatives. A number of other projects are currently being assessed as the Givaudan Foundation intends to further develop its activities in the future. Funding for the Foundation’s projects is principally provided by Givaudan, but can also come from donations by clients and other partners associated with a specific project.

The Innovative Naturals programme, launched in 2007 includes several ethical sourcing initiatives – in Australia, Venezuela, Laos, Madagascar, the Comoros Islands, France, Haiti and now Malaysia. These initiatives aim to secure important fragrance and flavour materials as well as to enrich the palette of Givaudan's perfumers and flavourists with new and exclusive naturals.

Close collaborations and alliances with local partners and expert organisations enable Givaudan to work to protect fragile supply chains to ensure the availability of materials in the future. The company also endeavours to support communities involved in the production of these materials to improve their production processes and education infrastructures.