Givaudan’s new full membership of the Union for Ethical Biotrade marks a milestone in its 2030 ambition to source all ingredients responsibly.
The fragrance and flavour house Givaudan has formally joined the membership ranks of Union for Ethical Biotrade (UEBT): Sourcing With Respect, signalling a marked step in its journey to weave ethical sourcing into its global operations. The non-profit UEBT was established in 2008 with support from United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and aims to galvanise corporate commitment to sourcing elements in a way that respects both people and biodiversity.
At the heart of Givaudan’s announcement is its deepening ambition to ensure that all materials and services it procures protect people and the environment by 2030. The company notes that by the end of its 2024 financial year, 53 percent of its total procurement spend — encompassing naturals, synthetics, indirect materials, and services — was flagged as responsibly sourced under its Sourcing4Good umbrella program. Within its naturals portfolio, that figure climbed to 85 percent.
“Our ambition for 2030 is to drive sustainable growth with our customers. We will achieve this by leveraging our strengths to further build our position as the undisputed leader in our core business of fragrances and flavors, as well as in selected high-value-added adjacencies in alignment with our purpose and our targeted financial profile,” Givaudan CEO Gilles Andrier said in the company’s 2030 strategy document.
“As a global business sourcing thousands of raw materials from communities worldwide, we are resolute in our commitment to the highest standards of responsible sourcing,” said Head of Global Procurement and Sustainability Willem Mutsaerts. “Collaboration is not just important — it is non-negotiable. Membership of UEBT strengthens our actions to protect people and the environment by enabling us to tap into shared expertise, insights and best practices, fuel collective inspiration, and, most importantly, drive impact on our shared journey.”
UEBT’s Executive Director Rik Kutsch Lojenga says the move marks an important milestone for both UEBT and Givaudan. “As an international non-profit, UEBT has collaborated with Givaudan for several years on strategic botanical supply chains. Givaudan’s formal membership in UEBT’s dynamic platform now strengthens and gives structure to these ongoing, on-the-ground initiatives. It also creates new opportunities for collective action with other members and further supports Givaudan’s efforts to build resilient botanical supply chains rooted in respect for people and biodiversity.”
The UEBT membership carries defined prerequisites. Companies must commit to concrete targets and measures to improve sourcing systems in line with the UEBT Standard – a global set of principles for ethical sourcing of natural ingredients, ensuring respect for both people and nature. Membership also demands minimum criteria such as guaranteeing no deforestation or conversion of intact ecosystems company-wide.
In practice, Givaudan’s Sourcing4Good program aims to extend its responsible-sourcing framework across some 18,000 active suppliers, covering all materials — natural, synthetic, and services. The company emphasises collaboration, shared transparency, and the elevation of supply-chain oversight as integral to achieving its purpose, “Creating for happier, healthier lives with love for nature.”
As the fragrance-and-flavour specialist inches closer to full responsible-sourcing alignment, the UEBT membership will serve as a platform for knowledge exchange, verification, and collective engagement across multiple botanical supply chains. The formal membership thus marks both a symbol and a tool in Givaudan’s wider nature-and-people agenda.
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