Symrise Amazon in Brazil is the first manufacturer of cosmetic ingredients, fragrances and flavors in Latin America certified by the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT). As an independent body, UEBT audited and certified that Symrise Amazon upholds high ethical and ecological principles in the sourcing of 19 natural ingredients from the Amazon region. Andiroba oil and passion fruit oil, cupuaçu butter and acai berry puree are just a few examples of valuable ingredients for cosmetic products and perfumes that find their way from the heart of the Amazon rain forest to the world market. Certification by the UEBT ensures that ethical biotrade practices are implemented along the supply chain promoting the conservation of biodiversity during the sourcing of raw materials and that the grower communities benefit from fair prices and local projects for their sustainable development. The fruits and seeds are harvested by hand according to century-old traditions. Ethical Sourcing from 14 Grower Communities The current certification of Symrise Amazon confirms that the ingredients sourced from 14 grower communities and cooperatives in the Brazilian Amazon region are done so according to the internationally recognized UEBT Ethical BioTrade Standard. The focus of the independent review lay on Symrise Amazon’s internal monitoring process, which verifies and documents the origin and path of the products and oversees compliance with standards. In addition, the review examined the supply chain and conditions in the 14 local grower communities. Furthermore, the review verified that the Symrise Amazon had internalized the regulations regarding access and benefit sharing. These regulations seek to ensure that the benefits of research, development and commercialization linked to biodiversity are shared fairly and appropriately with grower communities. “UEBT certification is an important step in our plan to make the treasure trove of ingredients from the Amazon region available to consumers around the world,” says Eder Ramos, Global President Cosmetic Ingredients at Symrise. “It underscores our voluntary commitment to ethical standards in the extraction of natural raw materials from biological resources. We established these standards in our biodiversity agenda.” The Symrise Amazon facility  in the Ecoparque in Belém in the Brazilian state of Pará was opened in 2015.