THE NATURE OF OUR BUSINESS – STABLE GROWTH - Symrise

emissions. We require of ourselves what the world requires of
us: the highest environmental protection and ecological standards
worldwide.
› We are committed to innovation because we are committed to
the future. For us, innovation is not only the key to our competitiveness
but also the basis for economic, ecological and social
sustainability.
Forging ahead with good examples
In 2008, there were a few examples that set trends for the future.
A school of hope. In May, thousands of people died in one of the
most severe earthquakes in China’s history. Cities were reduced
to rubble. Symrise donated € 50,000 to provide hope where there
was only desperation. The donation was used to build a new
school. The school bears the name “The Symrise School of Hope.”
To your health. At sites around the world, Symrise regularly
organizes activities to promote the safety and health of its staff.
In Singapore, we received the Singapore Health Award for our
efforts.
The garden of bidden
fruit. The difference between
the Garden of
Eden and the small
garden in Holzminden
where Symrise has its
origins is telling. In Eden
there was fruit that led
to sin. In Holzminden,
there are no forbidden
fruits. On the contrary,
those who eat from the
fruits in the Holzminden
snack garden resist the
temptations of improper
nutrition. The world’s
first snack garden was
an initiative introduced by Symrise to fight obesity and other illnesses
caused by improper nutrition. The initiative was launched
in 2006 on an 8,000 m 2 piece of land with grass, the remains of
an old orchard and a brook. Children aged three to twelve can playfully
learn that eating the right foods is not a sin but is very healthy.
Within the framework of the “Germany – Land of Ideas” initiative,
the snack garden was recognized in 2008 for its unique educational
concept.
Annual Report 2008 Symrise AG 27
The tree of acknowledgement in Brazil. The snack garden in
Holzminden and the Brazilian highlands that are home to the candeia
tree are worlds apart – unless, of course, one is conscious of
the fact that there is only one world in which social awareness and
ecological awareness are both parts of the same concerns about
the future. Symrise is the world’s largest manufacturer of natural
alpha-bisabolol, which is obtained in Brazil from the oil of the candeia
tree. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, among others,
alpha-bisabolol is an important component of many beauty products.
Symrise acknowledges the principles of sustainability and
obtains the oil from controlled farms as much as possible. At the
same time, we invest large sums to promote the preservation of
the candeia tree in its natural habitat. At this location, we are building
a network with certified partners.
… always inspiring more. Can global standards change the world
locally? An example from China shows that this is possible. During
one of our regular audits, we discovered that a manufacturer in
China no longer met our worldwide standards for sustainability in
the supply chain and we therefore terminated cooperation with
the company. The manufacturer took our demands seriously and
built a new state-of-the-art production facility. Now the cooperation
can continue.
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