At Vitafoods Europe, Nexira won two prestigious awards for its long-term and successful sustainability initiative: the Vitafoods Awards and the Nutraingredients Awards. 

“More than trophies, these awards represent all the successful achievements of a carefully crafted commitment towards natural products through the collective efforts of all our teams,” said Mathieu Dondain, managing director and vice president of Nexira. “This highlights the impact of our acacia program, which we've proudly supported for 15 years alongside SOS SAHEL. These recognitions also reflect our commitment to ongoing innovation with inavea™, and our dedication to corporate responsibility.” 

Since 2009, Nexira has been working in partnership with the NGO SOS SAHEL, finished product brands, and local organizations supporting sustainable acacia forest development in Chad. The Acacia Program combines economic growth, social development, and environmental protection. It aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which emphasize climate action, life on land, partnerships, and gender equity. 

Additionally, in 2020, Nexira launched inavea™, the first carbon-neutral acacia range. The brand offers organic-certified ingredients and achieves a carbon-neutral footprint, enabling customers to reach zero-emission targets. Furthermore, inavea™ provides proven health benefits for nutritional foods and beverages.

Nexira's Sustainability Initiative: Impacting Global Goals

1. Climate Action (SDG 13): Nexira has achieved a 30% reduction in firewood consumption, contributing to lower carbon emissions. Part of Nexira’s low-carbon strategy, the introduction of the carbon-neutral inavea™ brand underscores its commitment, with a 9% reduction in carbon footprint per ton of finished product between 2019 and 2022.

2. Life on Land (SDG 15): The Acacia Program has established five tree nurseries, re-densified 10,845 hectares, and planted over 2 million trees. These efforts support ecosystem preservation and enhance biodiversity.

3. Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17): Collaboration with various stakeholders has led to a 73% increase in gum harvested, technical training for producers, and the development of local conventions for sustainable resource management.

4. Gender Equality (SDG 5): The program empowers women, with 30% participation in Phase 2 and a target of 58% in Phase 3, fostering their involvement in decision-making processes.

Achievements and Future Impact:

The Acacia Program has already yielded tangible results during phases 1 and 2 (2009-2020): 180,000 hectares of forest managed, 100 villages and 28,000 producers engaged, and an increase in gum production from 1,500 to 2,600 tons.

The objective of phase 3 (2023-2030) is to enlarge the project: manage 300,000 hectares, engage 200 villages and 50,000 producers, and increase gum production to 5,000 tons.

“inavea™ Caring by Nature represents a gold standard in sustainability, combining environmental protection, social equity, and proven health benefits,” said the Nutraingredients judges. “Aligned with four UN SDGs: Climate Action (13), Life on Land (15), Partnership for the Goals (17), and Gender Equality (5), inavea™ Caring by Nature contributes to the Great Green Wall, restoring Africa’s degraded landscapes and transforming millions of lives in the Sahel. As the world’s first carbon-neutral acacia fiber, inavea™ combines sustainable acacia sourcing with measurable outcomes. Having empowered 28,000 producers, 30% of whom were women, inavea’s ambitious commitment to double these targets by 2030 proves that creating long-standing value at the source is within our reach.”