On June 9th at 4:30 p.m., Michael Bronner, Vice President, DR. BRONNER'S MAGIC SOAPS will be presenting at Sustainable Fragrances 2011 on 'Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps: Becoming a Fair Trade Bodycare Brand.' To whet your appetite for this year's event, Michael shared some of this thoughts on fair trade, challenges the fragrance industry is facing and what he's looking forward to at this year's event:

[IntertechPira] Your presentation will focus on the issue of fair trade. Can you provide some background and historical perspective to explain why this is such an important issue in your company?

[Michael Bronner] Being responsible to the people we work with has always been a pillar of Dr. Bronner's business philosophy. In 2002, we decided to expand that philosophy to our supply chains and determined to shift our major raw materials to certified organic. By 2003, all our soaps were certified under the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP), but over the next two years we realized that our supply chains were opaque to us: we bought from intermediate brokers and did not know whether the organic farmers, farm workers and factory workers in our supply chains received fair prices and wages, or whether child or exploited labor made our organic oils.

Inspired by fair trade brands, such as Equal Exchange and Guayaki, in 2005 we decided to commit our company's full financial and staffing resources to converting all major raw materials and supply chains to certified fair trade status. These materials include organic coconut, palm, olive and mint oils, and they collectively constitute over 95% by weight of our agricultural volume - everything except water and the alkali needed to saponify our soaps. In effect, this switch would allow us to produce "fair trade" soaps.

First, we researched the basic tenets of fair trade and resolved to follow them: cut out intermediaries in the purchasing chain and know the farmers and their communities from whom you are buying; build long-term trading relationships; make sure prices for crops and wages are fair and paid promptly; help finance farm inputs such as organic compost; set a floor price that guarantees to cover farmers' cost of production (COP) plus a fair profit should market prices crash below COP; ensure that working conditions in processing operations are safe; follow rules set by the International Labor Organization regarding working hours, gender equity and the right to collective organization; contribute a fair trade premium for community development, such as for medical equipment, health clinics, school books, water sanitation - whatever the local needs might be; and achieve the participation of all stakeholders.

[IntertechPira] What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the fragrance industry over the next 5-10 years?

[Michael Bronner] As more and more people are learning about the dangers of bodycare chemicals, they are recognizing that even with the most sophisticated cosmetic chemistry knowledge they cannot decipher by looking at an ingredient list what is in a "fragrance" since it is proprietary. This opacity is causing them to distrust fragrances as a whole and are making their buying decisions accordingly. Thus, the fragrance industry needs to work hard to win back the customer's trust by formulating these fragrances responsibly, naturally, and sustainably.

[IntertechPira] What are you most looking forward to about the conference?

I am looking forward to sharing our experiences in sourcing our raw materials fair trade. I hope that it inspires and/or reaffirms a desire on the part of the fragrance industry to start coming out with their own fair trade formulations.

About Michael Bronner and Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps are synonymous with Old-World quality and time-honoured simplicity and are renowned for their versatility and eco-friendliness. Started in 1948, Dr. Bronner's is the top selling natural soap brand in the United States and Japan and has established a loyal and rapidly growing number of customers in the UK. Dr Bronner's soaps are certified Fair Trade by the respected Swiss certifier IMO under their "Fair for Life" program. The use of Fair Trade ingredients benefits farmers and their families with fair prices, good wages and community funding. Dr. Bronner's Fair Trade ingredients include Olive Oil produced in Israel and the West Bank, Coconut Oil from Sri Lanka, Palm Oil from Ghana and 'Fair Deal' Hemp Oil from Canada.

Michael Bronner is a grandson of Emmanuel Bronner, founder of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps. Michael was born in 1975 in Los Angeles and lives in Carlsbad, CA. He became Vice-President of Dr. Bronner's in 2000 and is primarily responsible for the company's international expansion. Under his leadership, sales of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps in Japan, South Korea, and other international markets have grown from less than 1% to over 20% of the company's revenue. Today Michael is taking a leadership role in opening new markets for Dr. Bronner's in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.