The Aromatic, Perfume, and Cosmetics Industry is more commonly associated with the demand side of business and the billions of dollars in revenue as well as the beautiful faces used to promote the industry. However, the supply side of the industry also has an important story to tell and the effort by some in the industry to work responsibly with indigenous and local communities marks a notable change in the direction of the industry.
In October 2008 at their International Centifolia Conference, the Natural Resources Stewardship Circle (NRSC) of the Aromatic, Perfume and Cosmetics Industry, comprised of industry leaders and specialists concerned with natural resources and the industry, adopted a declaration in an effort to support the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the UN Global Compact and the International Labour Organization standards. To further the goal of positive and productive collaboration between the industry and indigenous communities, the NRSC held a meeting with Tribal Link and the Secretariat of the CBD in conjunction with the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) to seek advice from indigenous and local community representatives.
Among the community representatives were seven winners of the UNDP Equator Initiative Prize. One of whom, Jose Fredy Quintanilla Chan, brought to the meeting his perspective as the administrator of the Asociacion Bio-Itzá, an indigenous organization of the Mayan Itzá people located in Guatemala. By utilizing the traditional knowledge of the Maya Itza people, their organization has developed a successful and sustainable micro-enterprise harvesting the raw materials and manufacturing a variety of exotic creams, soaps and shampoos. Mr. Quintanilla Chan recognizes the potential market niche of their environmentally friendly and effective products but feels excluded from competition by the obstacles of branding, marketing and patenting their line of products. His participation in the meeting was an effort to form mutually beneficial and equitable relationships with global enterprises and to help construct a framework to facilitate the growth of sustainable income generating activities among other indigenous communities.
Another Equator Prize representative in attendance was Osvaldo Munguia from the Mosquitia Pawisa Agency for the Development of the Honduran Mosquitia (MOPAWI). Although his work with indigenous communities in the region of Mosquitia in Honduras brings him in close proximity to Mr. Quintanilla Chan and the Asociacion Bio-Itzá, his current association with the cosmetic industry meant that he and the communities he works with had different aspirations for the meeting. As a result of the MOPAWI’s organization’s efforts, several Honduran communities are exporting organic cacao and wild-crafted palm nut oil as raw materials for Estee Lauder and Ojon products. While not facing the challenges of marketing or patenting individual products, Mr. Munguia wants to work with the executives from the cosmetic industry to increase access to benefits among his partner communities and assist these communities in their struggle for land tenure.
These perspectives and many others were invaluable to the conclusion of the two day meeting, which was the completion of advice and guidance for the industry in relation to their work with local and indigenous communities. The guidelines highlighted 12 main points including respect for traditional knowledge, sustainability of the project, knowing the supply chain and added value, legal frameworks that take into consideration community protocol and educating the customer about the added value of sustainable product sourcing and traditional knowledge. The final report was made available at the 8th session of the UNPFII and will be under consideration at the upcoming international conference for the industry in October 2009.
For more information, please contact: Julie Greenwalt, UNDP Equator Initiative.
