Croda Amazon oils get FSC certification
Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for its Crodamazon range of
exotic oils sourced from the Amazon Rainforest.
The certification aims to assure both the industry as well as consumers that the ingredients have been sourced in a sustainable manner that does not pose any threat to the environment - an important issue in an environment where individuals want to ensure they are making ethical purchases.
FSC certification covers products made from fruits and nuts growing naturally in the forest, including Crodamazon Castanha do Brazil (Brazil nut) and Crodamazon Buriti -two of the leading sources for Croda's Amazonian ingredients.
The Crodamazon project was first pioneered in 2001 at the company's plant in Manaus, a facility that is located in the heart of the Brazilian rainforest. The company says that the aim of the project was to research and develop uses for products derived from native plants, whilst at the same time pursuing a policy of preserving natural resources and promoting the socio-economic development of the region.
"Crodamazon created the first handling plan for a non-wooden forest product for cosmetics (Buriti) which was approved by the IBAMA in 2003. Since our launch we have achieved numerous certifications, including FSC, IBD (Biodynamic Institute) and Rainforest Alliance, in our pursuit of sustainability and product traceability", commented a company spokesperson.
The FSC began certifying timber products during the 1980s, and since then its focus has shifted towards monitoring activities in forest handling areas. Unlike certificates issued by IBAMA (the Brazilian government's Environment Agency) which are mandatory, certification by the FSC is entirely voluntary.
The organisation's primary focus is to promote responsible management of the world's forests. During the last ten years, it has ensured the certification of more than 50 million hectares of invaluable forest land in more than 60 countries, together the certification of several thousand forest-based products.
Croda says that its Crodamazon forest handling plans follow the directions of environmentalist organisations that ensure that methods used conform to good forest handling practices.
The company uses the FSC certification stamp on all of its Crodamazon products, and likewise this stamp can be used on the packaging of finished cosmetic products to ensure consumers that the ingredients have been sourced in an ethical and ecologically correct manner.
