THE WHAT? LVMH has teamed up with beauty industry coalition Cosmetic Valley to fund a new conservation effort in West Africa, according to a report by Vogue Business. 

THE DETAILS The initiative was announced at the One Forest Summit hosted in Gabon by the French and Gabonese Presidents and will see a financial injection of €500,000 as well as a commitment to leverage the ‘preservation of Africa’s heritage’ as a basis for local economic development. 

The scheme is based around a concept named ‘cosmetopoeia’, which will see an inventory created of natural resources and their uses in relation to skincare and cosmetics. 

THE WHY? The funding is hoped to protect the ecosystems of key cosmetics ingredients, and in turn safeguard their future availability and quality.

Taking to a statement, Cosmetic Valley said: “The scientific progress of the 20th century has often left aside traditional knowledge in medicine, as in cosmetics. That this magnificent world cultural and natural heritage is not — or is so little — recorded, becomes a systemic problem. The erosion of [traditional] knowledge could lead to the disappearance of an important part of the common history that unites humans and their environment.

“Cosmetopoeia is thus a lever for biodiversity conservation that drives a new dynamic for a better knowledge of the traditional uses of plants.”