Now in its eighth edition, the ‘Beauty of Sourcing with Respect’ conference, organized by the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) on 26 May 2016 in Paris will explore how companies are creating brand value through ethical sourcing of biodiversity.
Leading brands like Natura Cosmetics, Weleda, Lush and Body Shop will be sharing their experiences and presenting their new strategies for the years ahead. A panel of experts will discuss how attention for ethical sourcing of biodiversity has changed over the last ten years, and what lies ahead. The panel discussion will be supported by new research results - including the UEBT Biodiversity Barometer amongst 7,000 consumers in 7 countries - and interviews with various company representatives.
“The research conducted by UEBT over the last eight years shows growing consumer awareness of biodiversity as well as a clear expectation for business to respect biodiversity,” says Rik Kutsch Lojenga, UEBT’s Executive Director.
A fundamental shift for companies engaged in biodiversity-based innovation are new national laws triggered by the UN Nagoya Protocol, adopted in 2014. These laws require companies to obtain approvals and negotiate benefit sharing before conducting R&D on a country’s biodiversity. Representatives from Nestlé, L’Oréal and the Himalaya Drug Company will share how their companies address these changes and incorporate them in wider sustainability strategies. Representatives from Beraca, a Brazilian ingredient supplier, and countries such as Morocco will subsequently share the practical experiences in going through specific Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) procedures and negotiations.
The conference will be held on 26 May 2016 at Arpege Victoire, 52 rue de la Victoire, in Paris, France. More information here: http://ethicalbiotrade.org/bsr2016/
