Please choose a fair traded project from the list below:
Aromantic’s policy on purchasing
raw materials is based on a holistic perspective, which considers the
products we source and stock in relation to nature and to people. We believe
that we can make a difference in the world by sourcing products and raw
materials that nourish and sustain both the producers and our customers and to
contribute to the demand for products that conserve our precious resources and are
as environmentally friendly as possible.
In order to be part of a positive cycle of change that respects nature and
people and improves the ability of future generations to sustain themselves, we
give priority to raw materials that have been fairly traded or ethically
sourced from:
- traditional
communities
- modern
community projects
- co-operatives
- or organisations which seek to create a better and fairer
world.
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and that are:
- grown using organic principles (preferably certified by a
recognised certifying body)
- grown using biodynamic principles where possible
- grown and harvested/extracted using sustainable methods
e.g. such as those set out by the Forestry
Stewardship Council and the Roundtable on
Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) production
- as natural or as natural as possible where natural
alternatives are not available
Our direct suppliers
Of course, we can’t be everywhere at once so we choose our
ethical intermediate suppliers very carefully. These suppliers have direct
contact in many cases with the communities and projects that our products are
sourced from. Our main organic essential oil supplier, for example, personally
visits these small communities and projects around the world and keep in close
contact with them. This same supplier is one of the first companies with Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) non-timber
products certification for essential oils. We accept fairly traded products
from our supplier even if the producer has not been certified as being
FairTrade. This is because our hard-working and dedicated supplier continually
visits the projects and for us that is good enough. Small projects that are
often rural as well are too burdened to cope with the paperwork required to
obtain and maintain the FairTrade certification. Aromantic, as a small company
understands this, we too are too small just now to be certified either.
To see Aromantic’s Natural, Organic, Ethical and Fairly
traded Purchasing Policy, click here.
Some examples of Aromantic products that have been sourced from Community
Co-operatives, Projects or Traditional Communities through our responsible and
ethical supplier
Many of our products have been fairly traded or sourced from
community and co-operative projects e.g. most of our organic essential oils are
fairly traded from community projects around the world see individual listings
of our Organic Essential Oils for more
information.
Fairly traded from a co-operative of 15 small farmers in Calabria, Italy
Sourced from a women’s co-operative in North Ghana
Fairly traded from various co-operatives in South Africa
Examples of organic essential oils: Spearmint (Organic), Lemon Balm (Organic), Eucalyptus smithii (Organic), Lavender, Spike (Organic), Lemon (Organic), Lemon Grass (Organic) – sometimes comes from Malawi, Lemon Scented Tea Tree (Organic), Melissa (Organic) – when available, Rosemary Verbenone (Organic), Citronella (Organic).
Fairly traded from small traditional community project in Somalia
Fairly traded from community projects in India
Fairly traded from community project in Kenya
Fairly traded from community project in Albania
This project helps to employ local people in the south of Albania.
Fairly traded from community projects in Madagascar
Fairly traded from community projects in Sri Lanka
Fairly traded from community project in Herzegovina
Fairly traded from community projects in Bulgaria
Fairly traded from community project in Spain
Fairly traded from community project in Indonesia
Fairly traded from community project in Morocco
Fairly traded from community project in Brazil
Fairly traded from community project in Papua New Guinea
Our supplier is working with a small enterprise involving indigenous tribes in Papua New Guinea producing Organic Cardamom oil and are encouraging small communities to explore new local plants to produce essential oils from, so they are not reliant on one single crop. They are looking at 3 other oils at the moment.
Fairly traded from community project in Albany, western Australia
Fairly traded from community project in the Dominican Republic
Our supplier obtains our Organic Cocoa Butter through CONACADO (Confederacion Nacional de Cacaocultores Dominicanos) or the National Confederation of Dominican Cocoa Producers, CONACADO represents some 9,500 small-scale growers, most of whom who farm less than three hectares. At the end of the harvest season, the growers now receive a fair trade premium, so earning more than 90% of the global market price as opposed to less than 40% they received when selling directly to exporters. Most of CONACADO’s is grown under the shade canopy of fruit-producing trees that provide food security for the farmers.
Fairly traded from community project in the Philippines and qualified by the
RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
Fairly traded from community project in Nepal
Our supplier works with the Himalayan Bio Trade in Nepal, who organise the co-operative of farmers and have helped them gain F.S.C certification and Organic certification. The group received the Wildlife Friendly certification.
Some examples of Aromantic products that have been sourced using a supplier
that has been one of the first to receive Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC)
certification for non-timber products.
Fairly traded from a community project in Nepal, this organic essential oil have
been given a FSC Chain of Custody Certificate
Juniper Needle (Organic) Essential Oil
About The Forest Stewardship Council
Our main supplier of organic essential oils has been one of
the first companies to receive Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certification
for non-timber products. The Forest Stewardship Council was former in the early
1990's to protect forests all over the world. Currently there are in excess of 82
million hectares in 82 countries certified to FSC standards, ensuring responsible
forest management.
Environmentally appropriate forest management ensures that the harvest of
non-timber products maintains the forest's biodiversity, productivity and ecological
processes. Socially beneficial forest management helps both local people and society
at large to enjoy long term benefits and also provides strong incentives to
local people to sustain the forest resources and adhere to long-term management
plans.
What is a community project?
A community project is where a village or a group people
depend, for their livelihood, on one or several crops. To maximise this crop,
they pool their resources, skills and knowledge for the benefit of the whole
community, forming co-operatives. This is also how I started out in natural
cosmetics; when the forerunner company of Aromantic was formed 24 years ago in Sweden, it was a part of a small co-operative.
We support these local communities to maximise the value
of their crops and ultimately provide a sustainable, developing, programme to
benefit the communities on an ongoing basis. We are working with local communities
in many different countries.
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)
Our producer of VE and MF
Emulsifiers has joined the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
The membership of RSPO is yet another initiative of our Emulsifier producer in
the pursuit of responsible manufacturing. RSPO is an association created by
organisations carrying out their activities in and around the entire supply
chain for palm oil to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil
through co-operation within the supply chain and open dialogue with its
stakeholders.
In particular, the RSPO will work on the following tasks:
- Research and develop definitions and criteria for the
sustainable production and use of palm oil;
- Undertake practical projects designed to facilitate
implementation of sustainable best practices;
- Develop solutions to practical problems related to the
adoption and verification of best practices for plantation establishment
and management, procurement, trade and logistics;
- Acquire financial resources from private and public funds
to finance projects under the auspices of the Roundtable on Sustainable
Palm Oil;
- Communicate the Roundtable's work to all stakeholders and
to a broader public.
Read more about RSPO at www.rspo.org
What Aromantic are doing?
Aromantic have started working with all of our palm oil
suppliers and producers, requiring that they all get the Palm Oil they supply
to us from sustainable sources. This will be a long term process, but we have
made a good start!
Aromantic products that have been qualified by RSPO (our producers are
qualified):
Related links
Fair traded projects:
Aromantic’s Natural, Organic,
Ethical and Fairly traded Purchasing Policy
Aromantic’s OF&G Organic
Certification
About Aromantic
About Kolbjorn Borseth
Aromantic’s Purchasing & Sales
Policy for Essential Oils
Natural vs Organic article
