Beraca and L’Oréal team up for sourcing raw materials from Amazonian region

Ingredients supplier Beraca has signed a deal with French cosmetics manufacturer L’Oréal, in a bid to nurture the sustainable sourcing of raw materials from the Amazonian region.

According to the Brazil-based firm, the agreement also includes the Germany-based Agency For International Co-operation (GIZ) partnership joining the programme, which is expected to continue for two years or more, benefiting around 300 families residing in 24 cities in different areas of the Amazon, reports cosmeticsdesign.com.

The team will work on a project in three principle areas of the supply chain, such as organisation and management, manufacturing and organic certification and marketing, assuring that all the manufacturing process areas are monitored and assessed for best practice.

Beraca said GIZ will be responsible for training in business management and cooperative options, helping to ingrain structural financial organisation.

The firm said based on the Biodiversity Enhancement Program, it will take the responsibility for developing technical and productive capacities in the region.

As part of efforts to improve the region, Beraca and GIZ will also be working together to promote and exchange ideas amongst different groups in Amazon involved in work and improving their social conditions, particularly addressing the forced and child labour.

L’Oréal, as a investor in the project, will play an integral role in the infrastructure and safety equipment, aiming for better working conditions for the Amazonian communities where the raw materials are sourced.

Beraca CEO Daniel Sabará said the firm in the project, partnering with GIZ and L’Oréal for operational, commercial and institutional support, aims to reach 1,200 people developing new raw materials sourced from the Brazilian biodiversity and broaden their use in the manufacture of cosmetics.

"We plan to create a virtuous circle covering the entire production chain, from manufacturers to consumers," Sabará.