The 5th edition of the ‘Beauty of Sourcing with Respect’ conference, organised by the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT), in Paris on 19 April 2013, will focus on how biodiversity is reshaping the beauty industry.
According to the non-profit association, biodiversity is a concept with growing momentum in the cosmetics sector, with leading companies recognizing its implications for sourcing, R&D and marketing. At this year’s conference, UEBT and IPSOS will present the results of the 2013 UEBT Biodiversity Barometer, a survey first launched in 2009 to track consumer understanding of biodiversity. In addition to the countries covered every year (i.e. France, Germany, UK, USA and Brazil), this year’s edition of the barometer will have a special focus on China.
“We have seen a stable growth in the awareness of biodiversity amongst consumers at an international level since we started this barometer. For instance in France, awareness has grown from 87% in 2009 to 95% in 2012,” explains Rik Kutsch Lojenga, UEBT’s Executive Director.
Another key focus of the conference will be ‘Access and Benefit Sharing’ (ABS) of biodiversity, with updates on the development of the ABS legislation in the European Union, Brazil and South Africa, as well as practical experiences from Brazil, Colombia, Malawi and the UK. “Biodiversity is a key source of innovation in the cosmetics sector. In 2010, international rules on ABS were adopted under auspices of the UN. Now, the European Commission and national governments are working to translate these rules into national laws. These laws will have significant impact on how biodiversity-based R&D is conducted, including in the cosmetic sector,” adds Kutsch Lojenga.
Executives of global players in the cosmetics industry and small local organizations will also present and discuss the theory and practice of ethical sourcing in the beauty industry.
The agenda of the conference, which is supported by Natura and L’Oreal Research & Innovation, can be found on the UEBT website: www.ethicalbiotrade.org
