Natura

Securing Amazon bioingredients through forest-compatible sourcing 

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Climate-related raw material risk: Climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation threaten the availability, quality and reliability of Amazonian plant-based ingredients, creating sourcing risks for beauty and personal care products that depend on healthy forest ecosystems.  
Solution pathway: Invest in forest-compatible sourcing models that make standing forests economically viable, strengthen relationships with local producer communities, support biodiversity conservation and regeneration and secure long-term access to distinctive natural ingredients. 

Business type: Large corporate 
Sector: Beauty and cosmetics 
Geography: Brazil / South America

In Practice

Many cosmetics and personal care products depend on nature-based ingredients whose availability is linked to healthy forests, stable ecosystems, and trusted producer relationships. In the Amazon, climate change, deforestation, and biodiversity loss can threaten the ecosystems that produce valuable plant-based ingredients used in beauty products. 

Natura has built a sourcing model around Amazonian socio-biodiversity, working with local communities and supplier networks to source bioingredients in ways that support forest conservation and income generation. This includes ingredients such as ucuuba and other Amazonian botanicals used across its product ranges. By investing in these supply chains, Natura helps make standing forests economically valuable while strengthening access to distinctive natural ingredients. 

The company has also attracted major sustainable finance backing to scale this approach. In 2024, Natura issued a sustainability-linked bond focused on expanding the sourcing and use of Amazonian bioingredients. The finance is designed to support the development of sustainable Amazon supply chains, agroforestry systems, forest regeneration, and local producer communities. 

For communities, this can create income opportunities linked to forest protection. For Natura, it helps secure access to high-value natural ingredients while reducing exposure to deforestation, ecosystem degradation, and unstable sourcing relationships. 

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Why this example was selected

This case study was selected because Natura’s approach has received credible external recognition and financial backing. IFC, part of the World Bank Group, invested in Natura’s sustainability-linked bond to support sustainable sourcing of Amazon bioingredients, while IDB Invest also supported the bond through its Amazonia Forever programme. Natura has also worked with UEBT for many years on ethical sourcing and certification of Amazon ingredients. 

Key Lesson

Businesses can reduce raw material risk by investing in the ecosystems and communities that produce the nature-based ingredients they depend on.

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