Swedish cosmetic ingredient maker AAK has gained FairWild accreditation for its shea-based emollients used in personal care products.
Customers can choose from products made from FairWild certified segregated shea kernels, which are fully traceable to AAK’s Kolo Nafaso direct sourcing programme, as well as products made from FairWild certified mass balance shea kernels.
FairWild is an international organization dedicated to creating a global sustainability framework for wild-collected ingredients.
Product-level accreditation ensures that customers of AAK’s shea-based emollients can trust the origin and positive impact of the supply chain, which supports environmental conservation, rural livelihoods, and community development.
Brands may apply directly to FairWild to register for use of verified claims in their consumer communications.
AAK’s Kolo Nafaso programme is a pioneering shea sourcing initiative that empowers women in West Africa through direct trade, interest-free microcredits, and training in sustainable practices.
Launched in 2009, the programme now engages approximately 230,000 women in West Africa.
Operating without plantations, Kolo Nafaso supports agroforestry and offers a fully segregated, traceable supply chain, as well as a mass balance supply chain for AAK’s personal care products.
In another first, AAK Personal Care now offers shea-based emollients made from either FairWild certified segregated or FairWild certified mass balance shea kernels.
In the segregated model, certified shea kernels from Kolo Nafaso are kept separate at every stage of the supply chain.
In the mass balance model, kernels from both certified and non-certified supply chains are mixed during production.
So, while a mass-balance emollient may not contain any certified content from Kolo Nafaso, customers can be assured that the volume AAK purchases from Kolo Nafaso for all its divisions equals the volume needed to produce all shea-based emollients in the Personal Care portfolio.
“Offering both segregated and mass balance models means all our shea customers can contribute to strengthening the impact of the Kolo Nafaso programme on the ground in West Africa,” said Lisette Townsend, Global Business Development Director for AAK Personal Care.
“For the women shea collectors, whether the shea kernels end up in a segregated or mass balance has no material impact on them or their communities. What matters to them is that they receive the financing, training, and support that enables them to improve their income and livelihoods.”
Deborah Vorhies, CEO of FairWild, added: “Recognizing the potential to significantly increase positive impact for women shea collectors through AAK’s mass balance model, FairWild is partnering with AAK to offer FairWild-certified mass balance shea products.
“The strength and scale of the existing Kolo Nafaso setup ensure tangible conservation and livelihood benefits at source, while enabling a wider range of companies to support the programme who might otherwise be unable to due to supply chain constraints.”
