Clariant’s Copaíba oil: Growing a fair trade supply chain from the Amazon forest

Heightened demand for Copaíba oil from the Amazon rainforest has made sustainable extraction “crucial” to prevent harming the forest. Clariant taps local agro-extractivists to ensure its sourcing remains ethical, environmentally friendly, and beneficial to the locals.

Copaíba oil is used in cosmetics to promote skin soothing and reduce irritation. It is widely recognized as a valuable ingredient for formulations targeting sensitive skin.

However, deforestation and unsustainable development in the Amazon region have caused ecosystem stress, increased wildfires, and a surge in carbon emissions that threaten the lives of indigenous communities living in the Amazon and the global climate.

Clariant’s agro-extractivistic approach to sourcing the ingredient through its Beraca portfolio means that, instead of large-scale farming or logging, local communities collect natural resources using low-impact methods.

Through this approach to sourcing, the harvesters can earn an income while keeping the Amazon rainforest intact.

The sourcing combines responsible harvesting, fair compensation for local agro-extractivist communities, biodiversity protection, and innovation in skin care. It aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and growing consumer demand for natural, effective products.

“Innovation starts with a simple question: How can we make the most of what nature offers? Can we extract only the oil and reuse the shell or pulp? What else can be utilized?” says Fernando Maia, production manager for the Beraca portfolio.

Fostering a fair trade forest

Beraca is a Brazilian company specializing in sourcing natural and organic ingredients from the Amazon and other Brazilian biomes. In 2021, Clariant acquired most of Beraca’s Health and Personal Care business, integrating it into its Care Chemicals division.

The pair works to blend traditional Amazonian knowledge with sustainable cosmetic innovation.

Traditionally, extracting Copaíba oil means axing trees, harming the rainforest’s biodiversity. 

Clariant is sourcing Copaíba oil for cosmetics from the Amazon forest through local agro-extractivist communities. Clariant highlights that its partnership with local small-scale harvesters supports new harvesting practices. Using proper tools and safe handling procedures avoids tree damage.

In addition to adopting more sustainable harvesting methods, agro-extractivists also partner with local cooperatives, such as Coopaflora, to further their ethos of protecting the forest.

“In an area where illegal felling, logging, and mining threaten the standing forest, Coopaflora is dedicated to upholding the livelihoods of traditional communities and protecting the forested lands upon which they depend for sustenance,” the organization says.

According to Clariant, partnering with such organizations also minimizes the exploitation of local communities, as middlemen often offer “minimal compensation” for their work. Beraca’s involvement with sustainably sourcing Copaíba oil in the Amazon region allows the agro-extractivist producers to enjoy more ethical compensation.

Previously, compensation hinged on how convenient the communities were to reach. Now, they receive the same prices whether they are in less accessible, rural areas or in more accessible places.

“Since the company started buying directly from us, it has been much better; we can sell locally now. Today, we feel more valued, and people recognize our work. They know who the trusted collectors are and who handles Copaíba properly,” says producers Sidney Roberto Castro Cordeiro and Dirceu dos Anjos Santos.

Personal Care Insights previously reported on Lush’s fair trade initiative, where a partnership between the company and local communities in Colombia yields sustainably and ethically sourced cocoa beans, while benefiting the harvesters.