BASF to gain ecologically sourced oil for personal and home care solutions from INOCAS

BASF and Innovative Oil and Carbon Solutions (INOCAS) signed an agreement to develop and supply the chemicals company with environmentally sustainable macaúba oil for its Personal and Home Care portfolio in Brazil and Europe.

The partnership will finance INOCAS’ plans to expand macaúba oil production in Brazil on an industrial scale, strengthening the country’s position in the bioeconomy. The long-term supplier finance agreement includes the offtake of macaúba kernel oil and macaúba pulp oil, an R&D project and options to acquire equity shares in INOCAS in the future. 

“Our Care Chemicals division is committed to securing and diversifying its supply of sustainable raw materials. A significant portion of our products are derived from renewable sources such as natural oils,” says Mary Kurian, president of Care Chemicals at BASF.

“Together with our customers, we strive for sustainable sourcing, protecting ecosystems and promoting sustainable practices. Macaúba kernel oil represents a new sustainable opportunity in this effort.”

Scaling up and providing

Macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata) is a native tree in Brazil adapted to semi-arid conditions and poor soils. Its fruits can be processed into pulp oil, kernel oil and residual biomass.

INOCAS will supply BASF with macaúba kernel and pulp oil, and commercial pilot volumes will be available in 2025.

“After our ten-year development path, the strategic partnership with BASF will allow us now to scale up our activities rapidly, generating significant positive social, environmental and climate impacts by increasing the productivity of degraded farmlands, expanding habitat for native fauna and contributing to climate change mitigation,” says Johannes Zimpel, CEO of INOCAS.INOCAS works with smallholder farmers for regenerative agriculture.

Sustainable sources

Since 2015, INOCAS has developed, implemented and refined a model for cultivating macaúba trees on degraded pastureland and improving soil quality and productivity.

The agricultural production company aims to plant at least 50,000 hectares of macaúba in partnership with smallholder farmers by 2030. INOCAS says this system supports regenerative agriculture by combining forestry and livestock farming without an additional land use change.

“It has positive impacts on soil quality, erosion control and biodiversity. Agricultural partnerships with smallholder farmers aim to improve their families’ livelihoods,” details the company.

Eco-friendly beauty

Sustainability has become a cornerstone in the beauty industry. Personal Care Insights covers the evolution of ecological cosmetics, recently reporting on Estée Lauder opening a biotech hub in Olen, Belgium, to create bio-based alternative materials from yeast, plants or bacteria for skin care products.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US, also developed a biodegradable material designed to replace microplastics commonly found in beauty products. The new material could also be used in food fortification and packaging applications. By targeting microplastic pollutants at their source, the MIT team aims to offer an eco-friendly alternative to the plastic beads currently prevalent in personal care products.