Givaudan Highlights Position in Support of Biodiversity

Through the Innovative Naturals and ByNature programmes, Givaudan aims to have the best palette of materials for its perfumers and flavourists, and aim to be the pioneers of sustainable development and fair trade practices in the industry.

Sep 29 2010 --- Givaudan, the worldwide leader in fragrance & flavour creation, has said that it actively supports the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity. The company is committed to preserving the environment and safeguarding biodiversity – the variety of life forms on earth. As part of the company’s contribution in this field, a new book by Givaudan scientist, Roman Kaiser, 'Scent of the Vanishing Flora' will be published in November 2010; the publication is endorsed by the Convention on Biological Diversity.

For several years, Givaudan employees, from all facets of the business, have worked for several years to put an overarching framework in place that coordinates efforts and drives sustainability principles right across the organisation. As leaders in fragrance and flavour field, Givaudan feels responsible for preserving the natural resources it consumes in creating its final products.

Through the Innovative Naturals and ByNature programmes, Givaudan aims to have the best palette of materials for its perfumers and flavourists, and aim to be the pioneers of sustainable development and fair trade practices in the industry. Givaudan does this through close partnerships and alliances with expert organisations as well as through an unceasing search for new natural products that have never before been used in fragrances and flavours. Givaudan has been able to support local communities, finance schools and improve livelihoods by guaranteeing the purchase of crops which are vital to the manufacture of fragrance.

As part of Givaudan's Innovative Naturals programme, Roman Kaiser's new book is an invitation on a journey along the hotspots of biodiversity; all of them bearing endangered species, and a discussion on their scents. His new publication is inspired by Dougal Stermer's book, 'Vanishing Flora'.

Dr Kaiser is a scientist renowned for his investigation and reconstitution of all types of natural scents using the 'headspace' technique that Givaudan adapted for its specific use in the field. This technique allows the capture of scents of even the most endangered plant species in their natural habitat without harming them. Many of these scent reconstitutions have been used in the creation of famous fragrances. For this latest publication, Roman Kaiser has worked for more than ten years collecting and investigating the scent of over 400 endangered plants species worldwide, of which 267 are described in 'Scent of the Vanishing Flora'. This compilation renders the book an important contribution to the UN International Year of Biodiversity and naturally led our Company and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity to join forces in taking action and campaign against the loss of biodiversity.