Ethical Sourcing Practices Nonprofit UEBT Reaches 100th Member

UEBT, the international non-profit promoting sourcing with respect for people and biodiversity, has reached 100 members.

UEBT’s 100th member is Olipe, an olive oil producers’ cooperative based in Spain. The cooperative has 930 producers cultivating 14,000 hectares of olive groves specifically for the extra-virgin and virgin olive oil market, and sells olive by-products such as bioplastics made of olive pits.

UEBT member companies commit to ethical sourcing of ingredients from biodiversity. It includes companies across the beauty, food and beverage, and natural pharmaceuticals sectors.  UEBT sees strong interest from beauty brands, such as Clarins, Expanscience, Fresh, Givenchy Parfums, Guerlain, Kenzo Perfums, Liz Earle, Parfums Christian Dior, Natura, Plantopia, Weleda, Yanbal, and Yves Rocher.
 


The growth also comes at a time when the international focus on biodiversity is on the rise, with the lead up to the UN Global Biodiversity Summit, or COP 15, later this year.  “We are at a decisive time in history, where everyone must contribute towards a shared vision to live in harmony with Nature by 2050.  So we are very glad to see that momentum is building and commitments are on the rise in these important sectors such as beauty, pharma and food, to align business actions with biodiversity,” said Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the convention on biological diversity.

Some brands have been working with UEBT for more than a decade; Natura has partnered with UEBT since 200.7

“We are very proud of fulfilling the tough criteria required of respecting people and biodiversity for UEBT certification, making us one of the first companies in the world to sign up for it,” said said Natura &Co Latin America CEO João Paulo Ferreira.  “The UEBT's standards and our prolific partnership with the institution will continue to drive our commitment to value biodiversity through science-based targets, meeting the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kyoto Protocol.

Ulrike Weber, UEBTboard member and regional director Benelux, Italy, Spain, Nordics at Weleda AG, another long-time member of UEBT that also holds the UEBT certification, added: “As a purpose-driven organisation, we need partners that are driving in the same direction. UEBT has been one of those key partners, and we were lucky to find them early in our own journey of nurturing and protecting biodiversity.”

The full list of members can be found here.