L'Oréal launches a responsible procurement programme for quinoa bran

By

Sarah Ahssen

Published
Oct 8, 2015

While quinoa has become a fixture in our diet over the course of the years, its seed's husk, quinoa bran, was until now merely thought of as a residue. As part of its sustainable development programme called 'Sharing Beauty with All', L'Oréal researchers analysed and demonstrated quinoa bran's exfoliant properties. An extraction process using green chemicals was also created and developed by Chimex, the L'Oréal subsidiary specialised in the devising and development of eco-responsible processes.

In Bolivia, the top worldwide exporter of quinoa, L'Oréal thus established a partnership allowing a responsible procurement policy for quinoa bran used for cosmetic purposes. The programme supports the sustainable production of the real1 quinoa variety, supporting local farmers' training and fighting against soil erosion by planting legumes, shrubs and herbaceous plants that are local to the area, as well as by supervising the know-how transfer between L'Oréal and its various local partners.
 
With this aim, the world beauty giant is collaborating with three partners: Bolivian company Andean Valley, which works directly with quinoa producers, the Bolivian Proinpa foundation, which promotes the preservation and the sustainable use of natural resources in the country, and responsible importer EcoTerra. L'Oréal also underlined that "the fruits of this partnership will bring permanent benefits to nearly 250 quinoa-producing families in the Bolivian regions of Uyuni and Potosi."

This project is part of 'Sharing Beauty With All', one of whose objectives is that 100% of L'Oréal's products should feature positive environmental or social benefits by 2020. "At the end of 2014, already 46% of raw materials used by L'Oréal were of renewable origin, i.e. approximately 1,400 ingredients from nearly 300 plant species coming from some sixty countries," L'Oréal has confirmed.