Today’s eco-conscious consumer does not have to compromise on quality to buy into ethically sourced, sustainable products, according to Rob Nicol, business manager at independent European distributor Cornelius Group.
Cornelius distributes more than 70 high-quality biodegradable oils, butters and shea esters from reproducible resources to the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and food sectors in partnership with Olvea, an ethical producer of conventional, organic or Fair Trade vegetable oils (certified by EcoCert).
The quality of Olvea’s oils is largely due to the company’s responsible approach to sustainable development, which respects the traditional harvesting methods of native produce. Olvea's global supply chain has specialist production facilities for argan oil in Morocco and shea in Africa as well as, more recently, sesame seed.
As well as drawing on local expertise to meet the sustainable production requirements of today, Olvea invests in eco facilities to drive environmental objectives of the future. A new agro-industrial processing unit in Burkina Faso, Africa, was opened earlier this year to implement new product lines and develop new agricultural supply chains. This will boost the economic potential of the Burkina Faso supply chain.
Mr Nicol commented: “Sustainable development and ethical practices are issues that really resonate with today’s consumer, who trusts that we maintain exacting standards on fair-trade and maintain a low environmental impact throughout the supply chain. Quality is no longer the only driving factor in cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food production, people expect ingredients in purchased products to be sourced responsibly.
“Cornelius is committed to ethical sourcing and sustainable development and will be issuing its first corporate social responsibility report later in 2016.”
The Olvea ethos addresses social, environmental and economic issues in order to continuously improve its processes and minimise the ecological footprint of its production. As part of this commitment Olvea acts as a socially responsible employer by investing in the development of its employees.
The company provides continuous training and best practices. Its vocational development is complemented by art-related, social and environmental initiatives in its regions via the Olvea Philanthropic Fund. This has supported several projects, including the opening of literacy centres in Africa.
Mr Nicols added: “Ethically sourced ingredients are often premium natural ingredients because the processes used to extract them respect the product, the region and the people. Often considered to be ‘added value’, the ethical approach is a simple concept that can benefit the whole supply chain.”
