Venezuela: sustainable tonka bean supplies

 

 

Download travel book: Tonka Story

 

As part of its Innovative Naturals programme, Givaudan is supporting a conservation and social project in the Venezuelan Guyana Shield region to ensure the sustainable sourcing of tonka beans. Tonka beans are a precious, wild-grown natural raw material used in various luxury fine fragrances due to its surprising and profound warm and sweet note, reminiscent of caramel, almond and tobacco.

 

The aim of the project is to ensure forest conservation while supporting the local livelihoods in the lower Caura basin of Venezuela. The country is one of the two main producers of tonka beans globally.

 

In partnership with Conservation International, a non-profit organisation, agreements are being developed with the Criollo people of the Caura basin. Through these agreements, local communities receive technical and productivity assistance in exchange for their commitment to preserve the forests and the flora and fauna. The project will also help ensure a sustainable supply of tonka beans for international export.

 

The Criollo people's economic return from their tonka bean business can be enhanced through improvements in the drying process and storage of the beans. In addition, by helping them identify new harvest routes that are less demanding than their current journeys - walks that can take 5-7 days - they are able to increase the amount of beans harvested. It should also smooth year-on-year crop yield variations, helping ensure a sustainable supply of beans for export.

 

As one of the biggest buyers of tonka beans in the world, Givaudan is pleased to be associated with Conservation International's work in the 4.5 million hectare region of the Caura basin, where a bio-diverse area of 88,000 hectares has been defined for effective conservation. The project supports local communities in the pursuit of sustainable economic activities and effective forest conservation in exchange for benefits that will improve their livelihoods.

 

"We have a responsibility for making sure that the natural resources currently use will not vanish in the future and that they are sustainable. It is in our vital interest to secure resources going forward that will enable us to create unique fragrances in the future," says Gilles Andrier, CEO