AAK and L’Oréal team up to develop sustainable trade of shea kernels

Ingredients supplier AAK has signed an agreement with French cosmetics and beauty care company L’Oréal to develop sustainable trade of shea kernels.

The company said that the collaboration would help improve the ingredient volumes and quality along with securing improved living conditions for women in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

AAK said that the partnership agreement, which is linked to the AAK initiative, will help triple its activities to include over 30,000 women in Burkina Faso.

AAK CEO and President Arne Frank said that close relations with customers such as L’Oréal and with the local communities where the firm operates will help AAK integrate sustainability in all its activities.

"By then we believe the programme will be larger than the need of one single company but it is very important to have a world class partner like this in the initial steps of this journey," added Frank.

The Sweden-based company said that L’Oréal would actively support its programme along with being receiver of the shea emanating from the project until 2014.

L’Oréal’s interest in shea reflects AAK’s Solidarity Sourcing programme that works to promote social inclusion in countries where it operates.

AAK designed programme claims to reach out to fair-trade producers, companies working for the inclusion of disabled people, companies promoting social integration, very small, small and mid-sized businesses and minority-owned companies (depending on local law).

The company said the cooperation will further strengthen L’Oréal’s work by improving the living conditions for the women groups collecting shea kernels in West Africa.