Discovering the roots of masculinity in Haiti

Givaudan Story
  • For every bottle of perfume
  • Watch the video
  • The road to a better future
  • Responsible sourcing programme
For every bottle of perfume
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Like fine wine, the longer you distill the languorously smoky roots of the native Indonesian grass vetiver, the richer the aroma. Related to lemongrass, vetiver invokes images of freshly tilled soil and chopped wood. Popular in male perfumery for these strong earthy overtones, it is in huge demand and implementing sustainable farming methods is essential for its future supply.

More than 50% of the world’s vetiver (all from ‘Vetiveria zizanioides’) supply is produced in Haiti. Although it is also grown in Indonesia, India, Brazil, Madagascar, the Haitian variety is finer, more balanced and multi-faceted. Originally used in agriculture to fight soil erosion, vetiver emerged in the 18th century as an elegant scent for male perfumes.

Haiti: sourcing vetiver at its roots

For every bottle of perfume

In Haiti, thousands of families in Haiti directly uphold the traditional craft of vetiver cultivation. By partnering with Agri-Supply and encouraging the creation a cooperative made up of hundreds of Haitian growers from the Massey, Faucault and Bazelais villages, Givaudan was able to provide local farmers and distillers with pricing and infrastructure benefits, while strengthening the supply chain. These included guaranteed minimum prices, regular technical support and environmental best practices for harvesting and distilling processes. The vetiver oil produced with roots from the villages is now Ecocert Organic and fair trade certified, ensuring sustainable stewardship of the land.

Watch the video
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Watch the video

The road to a better future
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The road to a better future

The cooperative also benefits from a development fund, financed by Givaudan and Agri-Supply. By using the fund to repair a road that served these three villages, vetiver can be transported more quickly to the distillery. Social benefits have arisen, too: for example, pregnant women can now reach medical attention in time for birth. By strengthening the connection between the three villages, and local people now have easier access to the region’s infrastructures and amenities.

Facts about vetiver

150 kg of roots of vetiver is required to make just 1 kg of essence
Smoky, hay-like odour
Roots must reach at least 1 metre to be harvested
It takes 12 months to grow
Haiti produces over 50% of the world’s vetiver supply
Responsible sourcing programme
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Responsible sourcing programme

We have always shown leadership in responsible sourcing, traceability, and transparency to meet our customer, consumer and environmental needs and expectations; Givaudan was the first in the flavours and fragrances industry to publish a responsible sourcing policy. Sourcing4Good is based on collaboration and knowledge-sharing, experience and expert input from suppliers, customers and partners.