Alland & Robert obtains first ever fair trade certification for acacia gum
The Fair For Life certification reflects the long standing commitment of Alland & Robert towards its industry and local communities.
FairFor Life-certified acacia gum is now available through Alland & Robert, for both seyal and senegal qualities. This is the first time that such a certification is obtained in the gum acacia industry, reflecting our unique commitment towards our supply chain and the local communities we work with. Alland & Robert advocates for ethical supply chains and leads by exemplarity. We constantly seek to surpass ourselves and go beyond regulatory requirements and customers’expectations, in order to be the leader of a fair industry that respects human rights and the environment. Products displaying the FFL label are guaranteed to come from environmentally friendly processes practiced by fairly paid farmers, from a transparent and traceable supply chain.
Violaine Fauvarque, sustainability manager at Alland & Robert, declared: « This certification is the result of our ambitious corporate and social responsibility policy. To us, this is the recognition of our long-term efforts towards a gum acacia supply chain that is beneficial to all parties involved. Fair trade promotes healthy and beneficial trade for people and the Earth. Participating in this collective effort makes us particularly proud”.
Charles Alland, CEO of Alland & Robert, said: “As the leading expert of acacia gum worldwide, we have a responsibility to our stakeholders. Our commitment to fair relations and sustainable products has been part of this company and its values since our beginnings . This certification embodies our unique work towards the local communities, and it strengthens our lasting relationships with our suppliers in the Sahel. We are extremely proud to be the first to achieve this certification, as we know it will meet the consumers’ demand for ethics, traceability, and transparency “.
The Fair For Life certification is an international standard for Fair Trade and responsible supply-chains.
Fair for Life promotes an approach of Fair Trade that allows producers and harvesters to take charge of their destinies through the recognition of their work. It is a collective and meaningful construction of life and society. The Fair For Life certification is also a guarantee of strict economic, social and environmental standards, set by the Ecocert group.
Fair Trade is part of a broader context of sustainable development within a region that safeguards and supports the local social fabric, particularly in rural settings.
Particularly demanding, the FAIR FOR LIFE label guarantees:
💰 a fair purchase price higher than market prices,
🤝 purchase commitments over 3 years minimum,
📉 a protection mechanism for producers in the event of a crisis,
🙏 decent and safe working conditions throughout the sector,
💪 strengthening the autonomy of producers,
🌍 environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
These principles apply throughout the whole supply chain covering producers, traders, manufacturers and brand holders.
This certification comes in addition to several other initiatives of Alland & Robert for an ethical and sustainable supply-chain, such as being a member of the SEDEX (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) since 2006, committing to the WE-USE-WILD pledge from NGO TRAFFIC and launching a reforestation initiative in partnership with NGO TREE AID.
Charles Alland appointed as chairman and CEO of Alland & Robert
On 31 March 2023, Charles Alland was appointed CEO of Alland & Robert, taking over the reins from his father Frédéric Alland. Charles will continue to develop the company internationally and diversify into new markets.
Charles Alland had held the position of deputy general manager within the family business since the end of 2017. He started his career in consulting, after studying international business. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics with Politics from the University of Buckingham and graduated with a Master of Science in Management from the University College London in 2015.
“We will continue to grow and diversify our business, while at the same time investing to meet our carbon reduction goals. Acacia gum offers significant development potential in many industries where natural and plantbased product choices are a key consumer trend.”
Charles Alland, CEO Alland & Robert
Frédéric and his son Charles Alland (right) in Senegal in 2019.
ACCELERATING AND EXPANDING ALLAND & ROBERT’S DEVELOPMENT
In taking over from his father, Charles intends to continue weaving family history that began in 1884. He will continue to internationalize the company and support ongoing projects, including the construction of a fourth production workshop at the Normandy site of Saint Aubin sur Gaillon. Set for completion in 2023, this expansion will increase the company’s production capacity by 50% to meet strong global demand for acacia gum – and create around 30 new jobs.
Charles will keep exploring the multitude of opportunities offered by the cosmetics market, following the launch of Alland & Robert’s DemeCare® range in 2022.
He is also set on perpetuating the company’s scientific and technical expertise by continuing the application research conducted in Alland & Robert’s R&D laboratory. He will develop fundamental research through an exclusive partnership with the Agropolymer Engineering & Emerging Technologies (Supagro IATE) department at the University of Montpellier (Agropolymer Engineering and Emerging Technologies).
Charles Alland is – and will continue to be – very involved in Alland & Robert’s social, ethical and environmental commitments, including the projects run by the Alland Corporate Foundation, which supports local communities that harvest natural gums in Africa.
FRÉDÉRIC ALLAND SETS AN INTERNATIONAL PATH
As President and CEO of Alland & Robert from 1988 to 31 March 2023, Frédéric Alland strongly accelerated the company’s international development. This success is reflected by the fact that 95% of the company’s turnover came exports at the end of 2022.
Frédéric will remain involved in the Alland Foundation. Created in 2021, the Alland Foundation acts in partnership with Tree Aid, a British NGO specialized in reforesting African drylands and a key player in the Great Green Wall project.
Founded in 1884, Alland & Robert is a French family business and pioneer in natural tree exudates. Drawing on deep expertise in gum acacia, an all-natural additive and ingredient, Alland & Robert exports to over 70 countries. To ensure the highest product quality and sustainable practices, Alland & Robert is fully committed to an ambitious corporate social responsibility strategy. This approach is based on a large network of raw material suppliers in Africa, international certifications, a dedicated R&D team and research partnership with internationally renowned universities.
Alland & Robert is taking the "We Use Wild" pledge, a commitment to good sourcing practices in the gum acacia supply chain
Alland & Robert becomes the first actor in the gum acacia industry to take this pledge, proudly declaring our use of wild acacia gum and placing a spotlight on our work to create and maintain ethical & sustainable practices.
Alland & Robert proudly declares our use of wild gum acacia (or gum arabic). We constantly seek to surpass ourselves and go beyond regulatory requirements and customers’expectations, in order to be the leader of a an industry that respects human rights and the environment. This is why Alland & Robert signed the We Use Wild Pledge, created by global NGO TRAFFIC.
It is the first time that such a commitment is made in the gum acacia industry, reflecting the unique and tireless work of Alland & Robert towards sustainability and ethics, as well as the result of an ambitious corporate and social responsibility policy.
Alland & Robert is taking the Pledge on a voluntary basis, as a self-led initiative to increase awareness and responsible sourcing of wild-harvested gum acacia. The Pledge provides an action framework to take measurable action to address the biological and social risks related to the gum acacia supply chain.
More generally, wild plant ingredients are key across a range of industries. When ethical and sustainable practices are organized throughout the supply chain, wild ingredients can support rural livelihoods that can be at risk of disappearing. Wild ingredients can alos offer the opportunity to engage in conservation projects, such as the Great Green Wall initiative in Africa.
#WeUseWild
“The We Use Wild pledge means that Alland & Robert, as an organisation, supports conservation and rural livelihoods in the African Sahel, where wild gum acacia is harvested.”
Did you know?
Wild harvest accounts for some or all of the harvest of the majority of plant species in trade (between 60-90 percent)*.
TRAFFIC is a leading non-governmental organisation working to ensure that wildlife trade is not a threat to the conservation of nature. Their team works in and connects across some of the world’s most critical wildlife trade hotspots to identify and help address both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development challenges and opportunities linked to trade in wild species.