Innovation

In its work, Davines implements various UN goals, but the main ones are focused on Responsible Consumption and Production (№12), Climate action (№13), Life on Land (№15) and Partnerships for the Goals (№17). We interviewed the Brand Manager, Ekaterina Dobrynina, who spoke about the company’s actions to battle climate change and spread ideas about its importance. And one Davines’ biggest initiatives in this field is implementing regenerative agriculture in their manufacturing process.

In 2021, Davines decided to partner with American Rodale Institute. European Regenerative Organic Center (EROC) has become the result of this partnership. It has become the first international Regenerative Organic Research and Education Center in Parma and in Europe. The main objective of this partnership is to carry out cutting-edge research, training and extension activities to demonstrate the many beneficial effects of regenerative organic agriculture for various sectors. Regenerative agriculture is extremely important because it improves soil, delivers high productivity and high-quality food, helps fight climate change and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, as well as restores lost biodiversity.

Thus, Davines pioneered as a cosmetic brand that not only uses organic and vegan ingredients but rediscovers ways of producing these ingredients more sustainably.

After signing its partnership, Davines launched a new hair care line “We Stand” as a part of its first global socio-environmental campaign “We Sustain Beauty”. All the ingredients produced for the new line are made utilizing regenerative agriculture. “Our 'We Stand' line is not only a product, it’s a manifest. A manifest that we produce 'We stand' to combat the climate change with the help of regenerative agriculture. All the ingredients are grown in our scientific garden and we want our customers to know that it is possible not only to produce food without causing harm to nature but to produce organic ingredients with professional performance in beauty products,” states Ekaterina Dobrynina.

Inspiration

“Our goal is to do our best for the world, creating good life for all, through Beauty, Ethics and Sustainability,” says Ekaterina. Sustainability is in the company’s DNA. It has guided the Davines’ work since the beginning when the enterprise decided that while improving itself it should not cause harm to nature. In 2006, the production site in Parma began using renewable energy and neutralizing emissions from the packaging life cycle of its products. In 2014, Davines partnered with Slow Food with an aim to preserve biodiversity by supporting small-scale producers who cultivate native plants at risk of extinction and use their ingredients in Davines' production. In 2016, Davines became a B-Corp and in 2018 carbon-neutral. The owner of Davines, Davide Bollati, has always said that the company was born with a vocation for sustainability. The recent project is an expanded version of the one with Slow Food and it is not unusual that Davines decided to implement it. On the contrary, this step is a logical continuation of Davines' environmental policy.

One of the key inspirations for Davines to implement regenerative agriculture was the realization that conventional agriculture practices can have significant negative impacts on the environment. Conventional agriculture often relies on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which cause harm to nature. In addition, conventional agriculture practices can be resource-intensive and can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Davines recognized that by promoting regenerative agriculture practices, it could help to mitigate these negative impacts and promote a more sustainable approach to agriculture. Regenerative agriculture practices focus on improving soil health, promoting biodiversity, and reducing the use of synthetic inputs. By implementing these practices on its own farms and partnering with farmers around the world to promote sustainable agriculture practices, Davines is able to reduce its environmental impact, support local communities, and provide high-quality products to its customers.

Overall impact

As sustainable development goals, Davines places particular emphasis on Goal 13, which focuses on combating climate change. In meeting this goal, they use regenerative farming, which reduces the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In addition, Davines also focuses on Goal 15 and Goal 12.

Davines integrates their regenerative agriculture practice not only with the “We Stand” line. In the future, all the ingredients will be made with the use of this innovation. This practice not only decreases emission but spreads information among the customers of new more environmentally friendly ways of farming. Regenerative agriculture focuses on improving the health of soil, which has been degraded by the use of heavy machinery, fertilizers, and pesticides in intensive farming. There may not be enough soil left to grow food to feed the world within 50 years and by implementing regenerative agriculture practices Davines helps to preserve soil’s health. Davines' contribution towards the fight against climate change was noted by B-Lab and Davines was included in B-Lab’s “Best For The World” in 2021 and in 2020 in the “Environment” category.

Consumers are increasingly looking for products that are produced sustainably and with consideration for the environment and social responsibility and Davines gives them these products. The company is already known in 90 counties. This was achieved because Davines products not only work professionally and cope with their tasks, but also because the production process is as sustainable as possible: from planting seeds to packaging the finished product.

Addressing Sustainable Development Goal 12, Davines calls on society to conserve terrestrial ecosystems. It also calls on society to plant trees and protect the environment. For example, in 2020, Davines organised a campaign called Responsible Beauty Month, in which a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the collection went to planting trees all over Russia. "For us, it was important to create a connection not only between the customer and the company, but also between the customer and nature. Planting about 12,000 seedlings across Russia was the best solution to form such a strong connection," said Ekaterina Dobrynina.

Business benefit

The use of regenerative agriculture (RA) has a huge potential for Davines’ business. First of all, RA practices betters soil health, which results in higher quality ingredients for Davines' hair care products. Moreover, the company doesn’t use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and this reduces its manufacturing expenses. Secondly, by promoting regenerative agriculture Davines searches for new suppliers – farmers who are ready to implement this technology. This broadens Davines' ingredient base and the company can create new products. Also, regenerative agriculture helps to cultivate unique and rare plant species that can be used in Davines' hair care products. This gives the company a competitive advantage and provides opportunities for product innovation.

The biggest benefit of using regenerative farming for Davines is the increased customer base. More and more people around the world are beginning to be conscious about their choice of products. For them, the composition, the absence of animal testing, the company's attitude to the environmental problem, and the contribution to its solution are important. Davines is the first cosmetic brand to adopt the practice of regenerative agriculture in its production and this sets the company apart from its competitors as more people who are worried about their health and the environment choose its products. But it also increases the satisfaction and loyalty of existing customers.

"We are very proud of our products because they embody our desire to help nature," Ekaterina Dobrynina mentioned during an interview. By using regenerative agriculture practices, the company is making a full-fledged contribution to the ecological future of the world. The company's commitment to sustainability is not just a marketing strategy, but a core part of its philosophy. By promoting sustainable and ethical farming practices, Davines is making a positive impact on the environment while also providing customers with high-quality and effective products.

Social and environmental benefit

Davines' usage of regenerative agriculture practices benefits both society and the environment. These practices mainly include efforts to restore soil health, avoiding agrochemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides and crop rotation. It can also include higher standards for workers’ rights and animal welfare.

Regenerative agriculture practices improve soil health by promoting soil organic matter, soil structure, and nutrient cycling. This leads to healthier and more productive soils, which can support a range of plant and animal life. Moreover, it increases food security since the soil health and fertility are improved and enlarges crop yields. This can help to provide reliable and nutritious food sources for local communities and since Davines, together with Food Slow, is engaged in planting endangered crops, this will support biodiversity on the planet.

Regenerative agriculture also reduces the environmental impact of farming by minimizing the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and by promoting biodiversity on farms. This helps to protect not only the health of soil but water quality and wildlife habitats as well. Furthermore, regenerative agriculture is one of the most efficient ways of mitigating the impacts of climate change. This is achieved due to carbon sequestration in the soil. It helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote climate resilience.

Finally, regenerative agriculture practices provide economic benefits for farmers by increasing yields, reducing input costs, and improving soil health over the long term. This can help to support local communities and promote sustainable livelihoods.

Interview

Ekaterina Dobrynina, Brand Manager