A global player and a good neighbour

Today, many consumers prefer products, which are based on natural-source raw materials and biologically active ingredients. With its strategy to serve the global wellness and sustainability trend, Cognis offers high-performance natural-based products and solutions that enable manufacturers to meet these demands.

The use of natural resources and vegetal substances at Cognis is based on the strict principles of sustainability:

To conserve biological diversity through sustainable use of natural resources. more To work in partnership with local communities which produce or deliver natural-source raw materials. more To foster the development of the region, and to ensure that the local population shares in the benefits. more

Cognis is committed to finding a healthy balance between financial, environmental and social imperatives, without compromising the development opportunities of future generations: Cognis is careful to ensure the future viability of all natural resources it uses.

We believe that maintaining biodiversity is essential if we are to continue benefiting from the riches that nature has to offer. Therefore, we focus on processing vegetal substances that are harvested in an environmentally sound way.

For more information, please download
Our commitment to sustainable trade.
German Version:
Unser Engagement für nachhaltigen Handel

The Argan program in Morocco 
An example of our efforts for putting sustainability into practice is the Argan program in Morocco.
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Conserving biological diversity
The principles of sustainability and our understanding of corporate responsibility guide everything we do.

Cognis has developed the following set of measures to ensure that the impact of its activities on indigenous flora and fauna and biodiversity is minimized. When sourcing vegetal substances, we focus on reducing waste, prioritizing controlled collection of natural resources:

• In 2001, Cognis became the first specialty chemical company to achieve worldwide certification to both ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems) and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems).
• As a major consumer of palm oil, Cognis is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). In this forum set up by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), 300 companies, environmental organizations and governments work together to promote sustainable approaches to the production and use of palm oil. One of the objectives of the RSPO is to ensure that palm oil plantations are compatible with the preservation of the rain forest and their biodiversity. Within the framework of the RSPO, teams comprising of representatives from all the major stakeholders have developed a checklist of definitions and criteria for rating the sustainability of palm oil production, and to collect best practice solutions for sustainable plantation management and logistics.

In the case of the Argan tree, we have, in cooperation with local experts, set up a program aimed at preserving the natural habitat of the Argan tree.

Working in partnership with the local communities
Cognis recognizes that indigenous peoples and local communities have their rights to their natural resources and associated knowledge. We are aware of the fact that traditional products make a major contribution to local food security, healthcare, and also embody significant cultural values.

We believe that traditional knowledge relating to beneficial properties of the earth’s natural resources and their use should belong to everyone.

A patent can only be granted, if there is a substantial innovation, a development beyond indigenous knowledge, and thereby an added value. Products or processes, which are only based on traditional knowledge, cannot be protected by intellectual property rights.

When Cognis uses products and technologies that draw from traditional knowledge, it is always with the scope to add innovation and further development of vegetal substances. However, before bringing a product to market, comprehensive R&D is provided by Cognis, including areas such as safety, efficacy, formulation, and processing know-how.

In order to develop a mutual framework and guarantee sharing of benefits, we observe the standards of prior information and consent with the local communities.

In the case of the Argan tree, a local researcher was named as inventor to the international patents.

Sharing benefits with local population
We highly value the principle of access and benefit sharing connected to the use of traditional knowledge, as it is entrenched in the Convention on Biological Diversity. Therefore, Cognis is following clear guidelines to ensure that locals participate in the use of either their biological resources or on an equal basis. The resulting benefits include:

• Support for research and conservation at plants
• Contributions of equipment and materials
• Financial assistance to indigenous and local communities to up front fees and milestone payments.

A case in point: Sustainable forestry in Brazil. Since 1999, Cognis has been processing natural, renewable raw materials such as the cacao-like cupuaçu from the South American rain forest through the
  Amazon Care Chemicals project.

Before starting research, Cognis works with the local government, appropriate agencies and scientists within the country of origin to obtain informed consent for the work, and to obtain all required permits for collecting and exporting specimens.

Whenever it is possible, the first production steps are realized locally, in order to provide the local communities with additional income and strengthen technology transfer. By providing expertise, e.g. in reforestation, and by developing new marketable products the sales of which will benefit the local community, we create a monetary return to the source country.

Thus, Cognis contributes to the local development, focusing on a win-win situation for all parties involved.

German Version: Ein "Global Player" und guter Nachbar.