Indonesia : Improving Production Techniques To Prevent Deforestation

In 2018, in partnership with the NGO SNV (Netherland Development Organization), L’Oréal implemented a sustainable sourcing project focusing on palm oil derivatives in the region of Berbak in Jambi, on the island of Sumatra.

The project, which involved all local stakeholders, from the mill to the crusher, aims to support 12,500 smallholder farmers in improving their palm oil production practices over a period of five years. It has a double goal of achieving zero deforestation and improving farmers’ quality of life, in particular by raising and safeguarding their income. At the end of 2019, 7,169 smallholder farmers had benefited from SNV's training programs.

In 2019, L'Oréal also partnered with the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) to evaluate the impact of smallholders’ agricultural practices on the quality of the soil and the productivity of palm trees within two independent smallholder cooperatives. The results will help to evaluate smallholders' practices and provide them with individual recommendations to improve their soil quality and productivity. It will also help reduce the environment impact of certain practices (over-use/misuse of fertilizers and herbicides).

As part of its policy, the Group pledged that by the end of 2020 at the latest, none of the ingredients and raw materials used in its products would be linked in any way to deforestation. Since 2007, L’Oréal has implemented sustainable sourcing action plans for raw materials could imply deforestation, such as palm oil, soya oil and wood-fiber based products. The respect of human rights -namely, no child labor, no forced or bonded labor of any type, safe working and living conditions as well as the fight against potential sources of discrimination are taken into account in these sourcing programs.