Trend for Natural Ingredients Prompts 'Year of Biodiversity' Declaration

On Jan. 11, 2010, in Berlin, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2010 as the "International Year of Biodiversity" to raise awareness for the importance of biodiversity, thus calling attention to natural ingredient sourcing practices.

As defined by Merriam-Webster, biodiversity in an environment is "indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals." The Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT), a nonprofit association that promotes the respectful sourcing of ingredients derived from native biodiversity, noted in a press statement that biodiversity "is essential to life on earth, and humans, as part of nature’s rich diversity, have the power to protect or destroy it."

UEBT finds that species have been disappearing at up to 1000 times the natural rate, and the group predicts this rate to rise. The UEBTalso noted that the food and cosmetics sectors rely heavily on natural ingredients derived from biodiversity for innovative beauty products.

During the International Year of Biodiversity, the UEBT is increasing efforts to raise awareness and is an official partner of the campaign. In 2010, the UEBT will host the Beauty of Sourcing with Respect Conference, to be held in Paris on April 16, 2010, and will also be presenting the Ethical BioTrade Awards for Biodiversity, to be announced at the Health Ingredients trade fair in Spain in November 2010.

For more information regarding the ethical sourcing of natural ingredients, cosmetic companies are urged to contact the UEBT.

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