The Dark Side of Jasmine

Postmodern Perfumer | Newsletter #4

Jasmine is one of the most valuable and popular flowers in perfume creation all over the world. It is described as sweet, floral-fruity, warm, and animalic, and it adds depth and eroticism to countless scents. But there is a flip side to this picture, a side that the public does not get to see – the child labor, exploitation, and the violation of human rights that has been a part of the jasmine business for quite some time now.

Child Labor and Financial Hardship

Jasmine is one of the most delicate flowers that can only be picked by hand. According to research by the International Labour Organization (ILO), in Egypt children are regularly employed picking jasmine between July and October. Recruiters prefer small children because their small hands enable them to better pick the delicate flowers. The children work barefoot in the mud at night when the jasmine essence is most concentrated in the blossoms.

 

 

Another ILO report states that in Egypt, children, especially girls are recruited, from villages in the Nile Delta to pick jasmine flowers at night. In most producing countries like Egypt and India, this tiresome work is delegated to families and children of seven years and below.

Jasmine pickers report to work at night and usually work from 3 am to 9 am. Their job is quite strenuous. One needs to be very cautious when handling the flowers so that they do not bruise and lose their valuable fragrant aroma. Nevertheless, according to a BBC report from 2022 wages for jasmine pickers in Egypt remain extremely low: a worker picks an average of 3kg of blossoms per shift making 90 EGP, which today translates to $1.91 a day.

The low price offered to the pickers is partly because of the competition from the cheaper production in India and the various middlemen within the supply chain leading to the challenging process of getting the end product, the so-called jasmine absolute used in perfumery. This absolute, which is a highly concentrated and intensely fragrant oil, is produced by a two-step process of solvent extraction and a process that isolates the fragrant oil from the so-called concrete, a waxy substance, by using pure alcohol.

According to Firmenich and Auroma to get 1 gram of this precious absolute, the jasmine pickers have to collect 8000 to 9000 flowers, which shows the amount of effort and time required. However, the positive effects of this highly lucrative enterprise do not extend to the workers who form the backbone of this business.

A Cycle of Poverty and Exploitation

To many jasmine farmers and pickers, the job is not only labor intensive but is also a source of pride and identity. Nevertheless, a lack of access to technology, resources, and markets has made most of the small and medium jasmine cultivators fail to achieve sustainable yields and reasonable prices for their produce.

 

The use of middlemen and commission agents only aggravates the situation because these agents exploit the farmers’ need for ready cash and fix prices while taking their cut. This cycle of poverty and exploitation is especially observed among women, children, and the elderly since they are some of the most vulnerable workers who engage in jasmine picking.

In some Indian regions, there is no social security, and many of the agricultural workers are illiterate and have no clue about the jasmine market, according to a research paper by Rakshitha. S published in the International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology. They are a cheap labor force that is stuck below the poverty line. While fragrance manufacturers including Givaudan, Firmenich, and Symrise have promised to improve the quality of life of farmers and workers, the potential of such actions remains limited by structural issues.

The Effects of Climate Change

As if the human rights problems weren't already bad enough, the jasmine industry is now also facing the threat of climate change. Climate change has already impacted jasmine production: for instance, high temperatures during summer in Egypt are said to make the flowers wilt before they can be harvested, says Abdo Badr, a middleman between farmers and factories.

 

 

Climate change is not only a threat to the production and quality of jasmine crops but also a threat to small and medium-sized jasmine cultivators in some areas. Because of the limitation in capital and technology, they may not be able to meet these challenges hence worsening their economic problems.

Transparency and Accountability

The dark side of jasmine production is therefore a clear indication that there is a cost that accompanies the sweet aromas we apply on our skin and use in our homes. While there has been some attempts made by the industry to go green and source materials sustainably, there is much more that has to be done to make sure that the workers who make this trade possible are treated fairly and paid adequately for their work.

 

 

Various initiatives claim to improve working conditions in jasmine cultivation. The fragrance and flavor manufacturer Symrise highlights its Artisan program and its cooperation with A. Fakhry & Co., an Egyptian jasmine producer claiming to be committed to sustainable jasmine farming. They say to aim to boost farmers' incomes by producing high-quality raw materials for the global market and improving education.

Then there is the project “Flower Gems of India” by Bulgari and Firmenich in India. In 2019, they announced to offer training for farmers on new cultivation methods with the goal of increasing their profits and the quality of the flowers. The project claims to ensure fair working conditions and wages. Unfortunately, we cannot verify the claims made in the press releases made by the fragrance houses.

According to Givaudan's ESG report from 2023, the corporation ran a project with local Egyptian farmers to educate them on organic cultivation practices and a reduction of the use of pesticides. What is striking is, that in the report they indirectly acknowledge that they know about child labor in the fields. They say to try to tackle the problem with external human rights experts in 2024.

 

 

We tried to find out if IFF, another giant in that field, has any initiatives put in place to improve the livelihoods of jasmine farm workers and end child labor. Besides general commitments to sustainability and only two ECOCERT-certified growing sites unrelated to jasmine production, we could not find anything.

It is absolutely clear that the pilot projects of the major companies are insufficient to solve the problems. Much of what we found in our research sounded more like mere lip service. It requires far more resources to bring about real change and the big fragrance houses have the means to.

Greater transparency and reporting on the supply chains are needed. It is only when these structural problems are addressed that we can enjoy jasmine without the bitter aftertaste of exploitation.