Definition
Regenerative sourcing describes a way of buying fragrance raw materials that relies on regenerative agriculture. The central criterion is to restore rather than maintain. A regenerative supply chain seeks to rebuild soil organic matter, sequester carbon and improve the water cycle (source: Rodale Institute).
Origin and history
The term regenerative agriculture was coined in the mid 1980s by Robert Rodale after discussions with Allan Savory at the Rodale Institute. Robert Rodale chose regenerative to go beyond sustainable (source: Savory Institute).
The application to perfumery is more recent. Givaudan announced its Sourcing for Shared Value ambition in 2019 and has rolled out programs for patchouli, rose, lavender and vetiver. dsm-firmenich, born from the 2023 merger, runs a parallel approach through Naturals Together.
Use in perfumery
Regenerative sourcing takes the form of supply chain programs around key materials. Indonesian patchouli, Haitian vetiver and Bulgarian rose are the three ingredients most often cited. The technical levers are cover crops, crop rotation, agroforestry and reduced tillage.
Givaudan describes a four step method, diagnostic, design, pilot and roll out (source: Givaudan, World Soil Day 2025). Regenerative sourcing is distinct from organic, which bans synthetic inputs, and from fair trade, which targets the price paid to producers. The three labels can overlap.
Sources
- Rodale Institute, Regenerative Organic Agriculture and the Soil Carbon Solution (accessed 4 June 2026)
- Savory Institute, How do you define regenerative agriculture? (accessed 4 June 2026)
- Givaudan, World Soil Day 2025 — Improving soil health through regenerative agriculture (accessed 4 June 2026)
- Regenerative agriculture, Wikipedia (accessed 4 June 2026)