Nexira enhances its acacia sustainability
As a global leader in natural and organic ingredients, Nexira’s commitment to more sustainable acacia is unparalleled in the industry, from a fully traceable harvest to technological and scientific innovation.
Nexira’s unique multi-pronged approach has seen them become the acacia industry’s first and only company to work closely with an NGO for almost 15 years, as well as national organizations and producers, to create better local living conditions. These efforts have been proven to generate a sustainable harvest of acacia, leading to more qualitative and quantitative production.
Nexira was the first-ever supplier of acacia to offer a carbon-neutral acacia fiber range with its inavea™ brand. Nexira accomplished this feat well before any of their industry’s competitors, having implemented a global approach which included the measuring and reduction of carbon emissions for the entire company.
Thus, Nexira unveiled a transformative sustainability journey, marked by notable groundbreaking achievements powered by a low-carbon strategy and the launch of the carbon-neutral product range under the inavea™ brand.
Long-standing Commitment to the Acacia Program
Nexira’s sustainability legacy began in the 1970s, decades before others, with a focus on preserving natural resources, particularly acacia forests. The Acacia Program aligns with four of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
The Acacia Program spanning Phases 1 and 2 (2009-2020), included many commendable achievements: reforestation efforts, enhanced biodiversity, and socio-economic development for local populations. The ongoing Phase 3 (2022-2030) further strengthens Nexira’s commitment, involving 200 villages and 50,000 producers with an expected annual carbon sequestration of over 60,000 tCO2e. Though other companies have made claims regarding similar commitments to acacia sustainability, Nexira’s environmental exemplarity is backed by the substantial results of their longstanding Acacia Program, which reflects their unique commitment towards the supply chain and to the local communities they work with.
©Inza Dagnogo-SOS SAHEL
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As the world leader in acacia gum, Nexira stands by their global responsibility: “As the world leader in acacia, we have a corporate responsibility. We must look to the future and uphold strong values, ones that make sense and which correspond with our activities. Carbon neutrality is certainly an ambitious project but it is ultimately the concrete expression of all the actions we have been taking for a long time. We hope to inspire many other companies to move in this direction,” says Nexira’s Managing Director, Mathieu Dondain.
Nexira’s Low Carbon Strategy and Achievements
Nexira embarked on a comprehensive low-carbon strategy in 2019 which measured and reduced greenhouse gas emissions across all its operations:
- Measurement: Using the GHG Protocol, Nexira identified and controlled emissions, emphasizing the lower carbon footprint of acacia gum compared to other raw materials.
- Reduction: Nexira has made significant strides in implementing technologies with lower emissions throughout the manufacturing process as well as in transport solutions.
Between 2019 and 2022, a remarkable 9% reduction in the carbon footprint per ton of finished product (equivalent to 5,500 tons of CO2) underscores Nexira’s unsurpassed commitment to sustainability.
Contribution to the Transition with Offsetting Projects (2024)
In 2020, Nexira began offering inavea™, its carbon-neutral range of acacia, an unprecedented accomplishment in the acacia gum industry.
For 2024, Nexira has selected the Envira Amazonia REDD+ project in Brazil to offset emissions from the inavea™ range, ensuring a certified contribution in offsetting greenhouse gas emissions and supporting local communities. The project contributes directly to several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This carefully chosen project, VCS and CCB certified by Verra, aims to sequester carbon by preserving 39,300 hectares of forest, previously destined for deforestation and conversion to pasture. This project preserves an ecosystem in a tropical zone, avoids emissions thanks to the preservation of an existing carbon sink and preserves and develops the biodiversity.
Participation in the Decarbonation of our System by Offering Low-Carbon Products
Introduced in 2020, inavea™ is Nexira’s carbon neutral brand of organic and sustainable ingredients. The brand includes only organic-certified references and emphasizes preserving natural resources, supporting local communities, and achieving a carbon-neutral footprint. Nexira is poised to provide carbon-neutral ingredients, paving the way for customers to achieve zero-emission goals in their finished products.
In addition to organic certification and a carbon-neutral footprint, inavea™ offers distinctive and proven health benefits for all nutritional Foods and Beverages. Currently, the inavea™ range includes acacia and baobab – it will soon be expanded with other raw materials. In terms of specifications, inavea™ offers multiple grades to match their customers’ requirements: a synergistic combination for improved prebiotic effect, granulated form for higher solubility and higher dispersibility, and a purified, instantized form with low water activity.
New information will shortly be released regarding the range extension, with even more health and nutritional benefits for new applications in functional food and beverages!
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