Protection of Candeia Forest – Sustainable Alpha Bisabolol

A cycle that promotes benefits to the forests, people that lives in the farms and the well-being of the whole ecosystem.

The candeia tree (Eremanthus Eythropappus) is famous for offering an essential oil that is rich in (-) alpha bisabolol, an active responsible for the effectiveness of the anti-irritant action (widely used by the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, helping to prevent irritation caused other ingredients present in the formulations.)

The Candeia tree is a native species of Brazil, but the sustainable commercial exploitation is carried out only in the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia. There is no occurrence of the Candeia tree in the Amazon forest.

Through appropriate techniques, it is possible to explore this natural resource in a sustainable way, in the same time, contributing to the preservation of the forest (flora and fauna), as well as providing income for the producers of the regions.

A cycle that benefits the forests and the people who live there.

Citróleo is committed to supporting the communities where it has owns business, since believes that the best way to conserve the forests is to keep people who live there.

Thinking about the future and aiming to maintain the life of the Candeia forests, Citróleo began work and research, in partnership with the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), investing more than one million dollars.

Through this research were defined the ideal approaches to the conservation of natural forests of Candeia. The main result of this research led to the publication of an exclusive legislation for the sustainable use of this species. Thanks to this initiative, the Candeia tree never figured in the list of plants species threatened with extinctions.

The concern with the Candeia forests is extended until today. Citróleo invests in socio-environmental projects:

• 1st sustainable Candeia planting – in own areas and in partnership with farmers, including support and income generation for local communities;
• Annual production of 10 to 50 thousand seedlings of the native species of Candeia – Eremanthus erythropappus;
• Annual donation of 10,000 seedlings Candeia destined to commercial plantations to forest partnerships with rural producers;
• Support to families in the region, with income generation and technical support to adapt areas, to recovering legal reserve areas, APP’s (Permanent Preservation Areas) – and replacement of degraded areas;
• Support for the PROMATA project (Technical Project Cooperation Brazil-Germany) for a recovery of the Atlantic Forest.

Benefits of susteinable Candeia tree exploration

• Index of fire in managed areas decrease below 5%;
• For each hectare of managed candeia, 2,86 hectares of native vegetation were registered as Legal Reserve;
• Incentive to register more than 500 hectares of Legal Forest Reserve;
• Production and distribution of more than 100,000 Candeia tree seedlings per year;
• Creation and maintenance of jobs in the field;
• Improvement of working conditions and quality of life of farmers;
• Keeps farmers in the field, they take care of the forests;
• Regular supply of Natural Alpha Bisabolol.