By: ICN Bureau
Last updated : April 01, 2025 4:49 pm
Partnership with Solidaridad and Fedepalma to strengthen sustainable palm cultivation in Colombia
BASF’s Care Chemicals operating division released the third edition of its Responsible Sourcing Report (RSR). The report shows the division’s progress in 2024 in the three pillars of sustainability – economy, environment and society. At the same time, it underscores BASF’s commitment to sustainability, demonstrating the company’s dedication to supporting smallholder farmers and promoting sustainable practices. BASF’s comprehensive sustainability statement can be found in the company’s Annual Report 2024.
The division continued to source Rainforest Alliance (RA) certified coconut oil and offers RA-certified ingredients to personal care customers. For castor oil, the focus in 2024 remained on the Pragati project, which aims to improve farmers’ working conditions, create awareness about sustainable agriculture and increase yields through more efficient farming. The success of the project is reflected by the fact that approximately 100,000 metric tons of certified castor oil seeds were cultivated by 2024, a significant increase over the previous year (by 2023 74,500 metric tons were cultivated). In addition, the Care Chemicals division continued to work on its palm footprint. In 2024, 98.1 percent of the sourced palm (kernel) oil was RSPO-certified. Nearly 97 percent of the division’s total palm oil exposure was traceable to the oil mill level.
In 2024, BASF entered into a strategic partnership with the non-profit organization Solidaridad and Fedepalma, the sectoral association representing the interests of more than 6,700 oil palm growers and mills in Colombia.
The project was successfully socialized in 2024 with small producers and the technical teams of the extraction plants leading to the inclusion of producers from all prioritized areas.
“By joining forces with our partners, we’re paving the way to a broader availability of sustainable palm for the market. The need is already there,” said Jutta Stute, Global Sustainability Manager, Care Chemicals, BASF. “Teamwork is the key. We are proud to partner with committed allies and to expand our joint activities towards sustainable palm in Colombia.”