Organic Monitor - a research and consulting company focusing on organic product industries - is launching a series of international summits on sustainability and green chemistry in cosmetics. The inaugural summit will be held in Frankfurt (Germany), on the 16th and 17th of November 2009.

The major themes of the first edition are market and industry developments, sustainability and CSR best-practices, and developing green formulations. George Korres, founder and CEO of Korres Natural Products, will kick off the summit with an opening address titled “Building a sustainable future through natural cosmetics”. Other speakers include representatives from natural cosmetic firms such as Weleda and Laverana.

The opening session of the summit will give an update on the global natural cosmetics industry. Mr. Amarjit Sahota, Director of Organic Monitor, will present the latest figures on the global market for natural and organic cosmetics and highlight the major trends and developments. An update will then be given on international natural & organic cosmetic standards by leading certification agencies. Emerging standards in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific will also be featured.

Food ingredients in cosmetics are the theme of a workshop on the first day of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit. “High consumer demand for natural and organic cosmetics is leading many product developers to turn to the kitchen table for cosmetic ingredients,” Organic Monitor claims. The workshop will look at the opportunities food ingredients provide, highlighting the technical and formulation challenges.