Founded in Geneva in 1895, Firmenich SA is the largest privately-owned fragrance and taste company in the world and one of the founding members of the Livelihoods Carbon Funds. As creators of positive emotions through the senses of taste and smell, Firmenich touches over four billion people around the world in their daily lives, and has embedded sustainability at the core of its business. Since 2005, Firmenich has been leading an ambitious social and environmental strategy across three areas: acting on climate change, embracing nature, and caring about people.

As part of its strategy to reach carbon neutrality by 2025 and minimize the impact of its operations, Firmenich has been actively supporting the Livelihoods Carbon Funds to couple restoration of natural resources with improved livelihoods for the most vulnerable communities. Firmenich is one of the 10 companies that have invested in the first Livelihoods Carbon Fund, since 2011.

As a Group that depends on nature to source its most precious ingredients, Firmenich has been particularly active in supporting Livelihoods’ agroforestry project in Guatemala, which aims to preserve the mountain range of Cerro San Gil. This is a major water source and one of the most beautiful biodiversity treasures on the Caribbean coast. Within the project activities, Firmenich has been supporting the creation of a sustainable cardamon sourcing initiative.

Firmenich renewed its commitment with Livelihoods in 2017 when it joined the second Livelihoods Carbon Fund as an investor and business partner to accelerate climate action.

“For Firmenich, supporting the Livelihoods Carbon Funds is a human adventure based on mutual trust, a common willingness to learn, innovate and invest in the long run. In working together over the past 10 years we have learned that we must collaborate to create impact at scale, and help empower local communities be actors of change, without being in a humanitarian approach.”

Bérangère Magarinos-Ruchat, Chief Sustainability Officer, Firmenich