Lotus

 

Sourcing ‘floating’ flowers with respect

Sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) or simply Lotus, is an aquatic plant that produces flowers and leaves directly from its roots. The leaves float on water surfaces but are rooted down into the underwater soil and held up by flowering stalks. They are often found close to the edges of waterways, thriving in shallow areas of rivers and in wetlands or rice fields. Cultivated varieties can have flowers in many shapes and colors. Shapes can be bowl-shaped where all the petals curve upwards into a bowl, or plate-shaped where the petals open flat, or a ‘dancing’ shape where petals are irregular around the center seed pod. Flowers can be red, pink, white, yellow, or in two to three colors, such as white with red-tipped petals, however the native variety is a soft pink. Lotus seeds can germinate and bloom for up to 1,300 years.

Lotus plants are native to Asia and northern Australia and have been introduced in other places, such as in North America, primarily as a water garden plant or ornamental plant. In their native environments they do well in sheltered locations and can provide important habitat for aquatic organisms such as immature fish hiding from predators. The seeds are often eaten by migratory birds, and the roots are a food source for small mammals that live in or near rivers or ponds.

For people, the plant is revered in many cultures, seen as a symbol of purity and harmony in Asia. It has been a food and medicinal source for generations. In Southeast Asia, where it is particularly prevalent, the Lotus is so respected that all its parts – roots, seeds, petals – are used in some way as a food source or as an ingredient in traditional remedies. Today, the Lotus is also used as an ingredient in skin care (including in sunscreen lotions, liquid makeup, skin creams, etc.), particularly due to its anti-aging or skin hydration properties.

UEBT member Agroforex is a Laos-based producer and exporter of Lotus among other plants for the fragrance, natural pharmaceuticals and beauty sectors. The company cultivates Lotus along the Mekong River in the country. The Greater Mekong is one of the most vulnerable landscapes in the world, as the effects of a changing climate are impacting the region’s people and biodiversity. Founded in 1992, Agroforex has recently built stilt platforms in Lotus cultivation areas, so that hand-picking can take place during the flowering stage without touching the water or disturbing the plant’s root systems.

UEBT member brand fresh is sourcing Lotus from their supplier Ten Mile Creek Farm in Alabama, USA that cultivates different varieties of the plant. The flowers are also hand-picked during the blossoming period for their powerful antioxidant properties. In this supply chain, the Lotus is farmed in ponds that have been organic certified. The entire plant is harvested from the water level upwards, then squeezed gently, within an hour after picking, to extract a ‘juice’ that is then further processed into an active ingredient used in skin care.

For Agathe Bernardot, Senior Manager, Sustainable Development at fresh “Sustainability is an ever evolving journey, which is why fresh is on a mission to advance sourcing practices that help people and biodiversity thrive. Our Lotus products are no exception, and following our 2021 UEBT assessment, we were able to collaborate with Ten Mile Creek Farm to create and implement an action plan that enabled us to reach the Ethically Sourced level in 2023.”

“UEBT standards provide a framework…so that you’re not just hitting it once in a while,” explains Laura Bancroft, who runs the Ten Mile Creek Farm. “With the framework it gives [you] something to work for, to work towards, and to gauge your success.”

Both Lotus supply chains – in the USA and in Laos – have been engaged in UEBT programmes. This means that companies are working to make social or environmental improvements over time in line with the UEBT standard. One of the commitments UEBT members make is to improve practices in sourcing areas of their prioritized ingredients, and to report on that progress regularly.

 
 
 
Nelly Debrilnonharvested