What ethical sourcing means to Weleda

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We are committed to ensuring that our raw materials are ethically sourced.

Our supply chain is sustainable and equitable

When you purchase our NATRUE-certified natural personal care products, you contribute to a world in which both people and biodiversity can thrive. Not only do we ensure that a majority of our natural raw materials are grown biodynamically, but also that the people who grow and harvest them are treated fairly and with respect. We also want to be able to trace our natural raw materials back to their source.

Our commitment to sustainable sourcing

Wherever possible, we source raw materials from biodynamic farming. We are working to increase this every year, through new partnerships with new biodynamic cultivation projects. We also place great emphasis on the quality of our ingredients. Many of the plants we use for our NATRUE-certified natural personal care products and homeopathic medicines are grown in our own gardens. We also source raw materials through long-standing partners.

Our vision is to be a benchmark company on ethical and sustainable sourcing within our industry.

100

percent of the supply chains for Weleda natural cosmetic products are audited to the UEBT standard

percent is the average amount of certifiable raw materials used at Weleda

1000

substances from nature form the basis of Weleda products

Discover the source of our raw materials

Fragrant lavender from Moldova

The fields in Moldova are filled with the bright purple blossoms of fragrant lavender. At the edges of the fields, mobile distillation units process the freshly gathered plants into essential oil. Only about twenty years ago, there was hardly any market for lavender in Moldova. Today, it provides us with large amounts of lavender for the production of our NATRUE-certified natural personal care products . It’s wonderful to see what’s happening in the area: our partner has added fish stocks to a small lake near the fields, cut back overgrown reeds and set up beehives. It’s not just the quality of the soil that is important here, but also its biodiversity. Only then is nature healthy. That’s why we are currently working with the villagers to help them convert to biodynamic agriculture.

Precious sandalwood oil from New Caledonia

The sandalwood oil we use as a fragrance in some of our products is sourced from one of the islands of New Caledonia in the South Pacific. The oil is extracted from the wood of the trees. Because sandalwood is particularly rare, each tree is tagged with a GPS sensor to prevent illegal harvesting. The people treat this valuable natural resource with care. To test whether the tree is mature enough for harvesting, a tiny hole is drilled into the wood. Then the hole is closed again with resin, so the tree can continue to grow if necessary. We were there when the trees were harvested, visited the wood mill and oil distillery and observed as fragrant sandalwood oil was extracted from the soft chunks of wood.

Arnica wild collection

What is likely Europe’s most abundant source of arnica can be found growing wild in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. Weleda is helping to protect this resource and support the local people. A meadow alone usually doesn’t produce much for a farmer. But if arnica grows there, the meadow offers an additional source of income, giving the owner an incentive to leave it in its original state. These wild plants are harvested and processed according to strict sustainability and quality standards, which local pickers learn about in training workshops.

Ratanhia from the Andes

Every year a family in Peru makes the long journey up to the Andean Plains to harvest Ratanhia plants and roots for Weleda. Of course we have a permit for certified wild collection; it’s important to us that we also protect this plant species. How much of the plant is there? Have the soil conditions changed? Has anything changed since last year? Everything is carefully observed and documented. To determine which of the wild meadows should be harvested, we consult with experts from local universities and nature conservation organisations.

What sustainability means to us

Sustainability has always been part of our identity. Weleda stands for an inclusive, fair and regenerative economic system. Certification as a Benefit Corporation (B Corp) emphasizes that we are making the world a whole lot better with our corporate culture.

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