Innovation

This innovation lies in how it was applied to a novel cause. The testing that Oritain uses to find origins for their product has been around for many years, however, it had only been used for forensic purposes (e.g. at a crime scene). Oritain saw how this technology could be applied differently and used to trace exactly where a material was sourced.

This process revolves around identifying what Oritain terms an "environmental fingerprint." The environment is filled with diverse isotopes and elements, meaning that products develop a distinct chemical fingerprint based on where it was grown or sourced. Once a business's fingerprint is established, any product can undergo testing throughout its supply chain journey. This approach serves a dual purpose: ensuring businesses uphold their stated practices and establishing a framework to counteract trust issues between producers and consumers. It allows for businesses to reap the benefits of acting with environmental and social responsibility as their claims can be verified. Partnering with Oritain enables businesses to subject their products to auditing at any stage of the supply chain, ensuring alignment between their items' claimed and actual origin. Whether a business asserts its wool originates from New Zealand, the South Island, or even a specific town or region, Oritain's testing can confirm these claims with remarkable precision, narrowing down the source to within approximately 10 kilometers.

This innovation provides a pathway to change the way the business world operates as it can reduce the risk of ethical issues such as modern slavery, and push for more responsible production. As more and more consumers are caring about where their products or from, Oritain's innovation provides an essential piece of the puzzle: a verification that consumers can trust.

Inspiration

Founded in 2008 by Dr Helen Darling and Professor Russell Frew, Oritain emerged from the vision of repurposing forensic testing for an innovative purpose. To learn about Oritain's innovation, I engaged with Sam, who has been a part of the company since 2014. He described that the initial inspiration for this innovation came from seeing that there could be a premium on products in a global market that came from New Zealand. This sparked the idea of creating a system to validate if a product was from New Zealand, enhancing sales of these products. This is where Oritain was born, as Sam explained,

"It's 50-year-old science and 100-year-old statistics; how can we turn that into a business? The innovation is in the system"

The way that the existing technology was applied to a totally different cause, to generate a profitable business model for both Oritain and their partnering businesses, is where they find their success. Now, the business model has expanded and there are more driving forces behind businesses wanting to be verified. With heightened ESG reporting, regulatory forces, and investment factors, the demand for verification has only increased since Oritain began. This innovative verification service provides transparency between producers and consumers, pushing for more responsible supply chains as it provides a way to clearly see if a business is walking the talk.

Overall impact

Oritain has formed partnerships spanning diverse industries across 20 countries worldwide. Since they began, their range of clients has consistently expanded as there is a growing number of businesses choosing to authenticate their products. Not only are they gaining new clients, but 98% of their existing clients sign back on each year – showing that this service provides a benefit to these businesses.

The impact of this goes far beyond just benefitting these partnering businesses, it also extends to consumers. People purchasing these items are now empowered to make informed decisions, as they now have the knowledge that an external entity (Oritain) has validated the brands claims. These immediate advantages of Oritain's service empower consumers today to trust brands, enabling them to differentiate between various labels with increased confidence in what they read on a label.

Over the long term, this service can potentially transform the industries that Oritain operates within. As more businesses get on board and can demonstrate their dedication to their goals, it increases pressure in the broader industry. This change can establish new benchmarks for business practice, reducing the risk of false claims.

Sam described how, albeit unfortunate, sustainability is not the status quo in supply chains. This underscores the significance of Oritain's endeavors—by creating a path to move towards a norm of sustainability. To go against business norms which often lack sustainability and transparency, there needs to be more of an advantage for doing so. Oritain’s service provides this advantage, helping push the industry in a positive direction.

Business benefit

Sam delved into the highlights of their Oritain experience, noting the impact on clients and the employees. Since the beginning, Oritain's personnel has nearly doubled each year, undergoing a transformation from a small Dunedin-based team to a substantial presence across five different countries.

Oritain's influence isn't confined to the output of their efforts; it also extends to the internal benefits shaped by how they operate as a business. Sam put it best, “We make a difference for our customers, and for our people.”

Championing inclusivity and diversity, they hire a range of different people from a range of different places with different expertise. They also ensure that all their staff are paid a livable wage, reflecting their commitment to the people. Operating as a for-profit entity, they charge clients for their services. The economic growth, workforce growth, and career opportunities all center around a singular source – innovation. This innovation is integral to the business model and without it, Oritain would not exist as it does today.

Social and environmental benefit

As the desire to shift our impact from negative to positive increases – it is tough to do this without understanding our actions fully. Oritain’s service of providing traceability allows for consumption and production that operates at a higher level of transparency. This transparency helps hold us accountable for our actions, empowering both producers and consumers to act sustainably.

Oritains service can help businesses confirm that their product comes from an area that may be using ethical and sustainable farming practices, meaning that not only can the business ensure that they are reducing their impacts on society and the environment, but it means that they can market their product as one that is farmed sustainably and ethically in a verified way that consumers can trust. Sam described how greenwashing is such a prevalent issue, and it makes us (consumers) not know who or what to believe. Oritain’s verification means that everyday consumers are empowered to reduce their impact through their purchases, in a way that they believe.

Oritain can help a business achieve their ESG goals as they gain a deeper insight into their own supply chain. This means that businesses can reduce their impact to align with any criteria that they need to meet now or in the future. This service also can help identify areas in their supply chain that may be at risk of issues such as modern slavery. This helps businesses make informed choices about their product to try and reduce issues like this on a global scale. Long term, this innovation has the potential to become an integrated part of the business world, and more businesses can operate in a way with reduced environmental and social harm.

Interview

Sam Lind, Solutions Architect