December 6, 2013
Indonesia
A new project was introduced today outlining the cooperation between the Czech company Botanicus and Caritas Czech Republic. Its purpose is to directly support growers of the plant, “patchouli” in Aceh province in Indonesia. The special set of cosmetics named, “Botanicus Patchouli” was also launched onto the market.
Part of the proceeds from selling Botanicus Patchouli go through Caritas Czech Republic to the support of the farmers in Aceh. “If you buy products Botanicus Patchouli you support the local community in Indonesian Aceh. Twenty per cent from each product sold will be transferred through Caritas Czech Republic to the development of local agriculture. We consider such a direct support to the farmers very meaningful,” says Ing. Jan Hradecký, the co-owner of Botanicus. “Caritas Czech Republic has operated in Indonesia for 10 years, so we are sure that the support of the local farmers will be effective and quickly help to address some of the local issues. We are proud to support a good project through our cosmetics,” adds Ing. Hradecký.
The subshrub “patchouli” grows in the fertile soils of Aceh, in the autonomous part of Indonesia in the northern end of the island of Sumatra. “Aceh should be a rich tropical paradise but in reality most residents are farmers that earn just enough for their basic subsistence. Almost 20% of them live below the poverty line, earning one dollar for a day (2011). The combination of army conflict, natural disaster, insufficient knowledge of the modern cultivation methods and the lack of the working capital has resulted in limited economic progress for most of the people living in Aceh,” says Megan King, the Head of the Department of the Humanitarian Aid and the Development Cooperation of the Caritas Czech Republic.
Caritas Czech Republic has been active in Aceh since 2005 and is registered with the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs. In 2010, Caritas received a grant for Aceh from Multi-Donor Fund (MDF) which will help to strengthen the economic opportunities of the patchouli growers in Aceh. Caritas Czech Republic established patchouli co-operative societies in Aceh Java, Aceh Barat, Aceh Selatan and Gayo Lues. Thirty-four stainless steel distillation units were distributed thanks to the project, and each society got an office and manufacturing center called Nilam Business Center (NBC). The network of four co-operative societies is called KINA, Koperasi Industri Nilam Aceh, the system for the support of the patchouli processing industry in Aceh.
Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)
Patchouli is a tropical herb of a mint family growing to a hight of about 70 cm. Flowers are small, pale pink-white.
The plant is native to the tropical regions of Asia and is now extensively cultivated especially in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. The scent of patchouli is strong and has been used in parfumes for centuries. It is also used to create fragrances for products as paper towels, detergents, air fresheners and incense sticks. The oil from patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) is obtained from dried fermented leaves. The growing season for patchouli ranges from six to ten months. Then it is harvested:leaves and stems are dried and cut into small pieces. From the dried leaves and stems the liquid is extracted by steam distillation through which the golden-colored essential oil is obtained and is used in the production of cosmetics, fragrances and detergents. Aceh used to be the world leader in patchouli production, however 30 years of civil war and the 2004 tsunami have had a negative influence on the essence production in the region. Although the experts agree that the quality of the smell, cleanliness and the content of alcohol is above average in patchouli from Aceh, the industry processing patchouli must resist a strong competition at home and also abroad. The world’s share of patchouli production has fallen from the original 90% to less than 30%.
Botanicus is a Czech company that uncommonly connects the traditional cycle of grower – producer – seller. They deal with the production of natural cosmetics, growing plants, herbs, fruits and vegetables in their own ecological gardens. All ecological crops grown by Botanicus are processed immediately in Ostrá (Prague). Most of our products are handmade and use original, traditional recipes of their ancestors in combination with findings of contemporary modern science. Cosmetic products from Botanicus contain the highest possible amount of the plant material. The full assortment of Botanicus products can be purchased in franchise stores in the Czech Republic and abroad.
Caritas Czech Republic (CCR) is a non-governmental organization based in Prague, Czech Republic. It is part of the Caritas Internationalis network of catholic charities. Caritas CR operates in Indonesia with the goal of offering growers new methods to increase management capacity among growers. CCR works to reduce poverty by introducing measures for sustainable agricultural management.
