SYMRISE WINS GERMAN SUSTAINABILITY AWARD 2012
Symrise AG has won the German Sustainability Award 2012 in the category “Germany’s Most Sustainable Initiatives” for its approach to the sourcing of vanilla in Madagascar.
Reliable production, active involvement in village communities and over 1,000 vanilla farmers, with whom Symrise cooperates directly, without intermediate retailers: All aspects of this strategy won over the “Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis e. V.” or German Sustainability Award Foundation. In December 2012, Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Bertram, CEO of Symrise AG, accepted the winning award in the “Germany’s Most Sustainable Initiatives” category. Now in its fifth year, the foundation recognizes companies that take on a special degree of responsibility and combine economic success with social responsibility and environmental protection in an exemplary manner.
“With the socially and environmentally responsible procurement of vanilla, we have developed a sustainable model of success,” said Heinz-Jürgen Bertram, upon receiving the award. “Our aim is to create added value – for Symrise, our customers and also for other groups connected to our company, such as local partners and suppliers. With this initiative, we have achieved this goal.”
Nine Years of Local Involvement
Back in 2005, Symrise decided it would no longer purchase its vanilla through intermediate retailers, but rather invest in sustainable cultivation in Madagascar. Today, the company is making a notable contribution to local value creation: All steps in the sourcing process – from cultivation and harvest to the fermentation and extraction of the beans – takes place locally. Now, Symrise is one of the largest buyers of this spice in Madagascar and the only company in its industry with this kind of comprehensive approach. There are currently over 100 Symrise employees in Madagascar; roughly ten percent of the domestic vanilla yield of approximately 2,000 tons is processed by Symrise.
Comprehensive Social Initiatives
For many Malagasy farmers, vanilla is their only source of income. Symrise is supporting the farmers with comprehensive initiatives in order to provide them with a stable livelihood and improve their standard of living while also ensuring its supply of high-quality vanilla: With microloans for rice, farmers can avoid having to sell their vanilla at extremely low prices to intermediate retailers. At four primary schools and two secondary schools, Symrise is covering a portion of the teachers’ salaries as well as part of the tuition fees; over 2,500 children from 29 villages are able to attend school as a result. In cooperation with local partners, Symrise has also started a health insurance plan that pays for half of the costs arising from visits to the doctor and provides women with medical assistance during birth, among other things.
With training sessions and seedlings, Symrise is encouraging the farmers to grow other products such as coffee, cocoa and cloves. This provides the farmers with additional sources of income, improves their living conditions and creates trust.
Collaboration with Qualified Partners
To ensure that its projects in the areas of environmental protection, income diversification, nutrition, health and education continue to blossom over the long term, Symrise works with a network of qualified partners, including development aid organizations, NGOs and local farmers’ associations.
Symrise itself also benefits from this partnership. It receives reliable access to high-quality raw materials and offers its customers added value in a product that enjoys a high level of international demand. Heinz-Jürgen Bertram emphasizes this: “For us, sustainability and business success go hand in hand. This kind of approach can only succeed if one thinks and plans for the long term. That is why our commitment in Madagascar will continue to grow.”
