The project’s goal was straightforward: enable the sustainable castor crop production in India and improve the economic situation of castor bean farmers. About 90% of the world’s castor beans are produced in India, mostly in smallholder structures. Farmers are trained in 11 areas of principles based on the specially developed sustainability code “Sustainable Castor Caring for Environmental and Social Standards” (SuCCESS). These principles include the use of seeds and planting materials, worker welfare and safety, ecosystem conservation, waste and pollution management, efficient water use, safe use of crop protection products, and others.

Since the project’s inception, more than 10,000 farmers have been trained, and more than 8,000 of them certified. More than 9,000 hectares are now regularly cultivated according to the SuCCESS sustainable castor code. SuCCESS-certified farmers realized 57 percent higher yields than that published by the local government for the region in the year 8 of the project. The practices adopted in the Pragati program have resulted in a lower water consumption compared with conventional practices. Data measured in the demonstration plots for these practices showed about 33 percent less water consumption. In the frame of Pragati initiative over 8,200 personal protective equipment kits and 5,500 crop protection storage boxes were distributed free of charge and over 8,200 personal protective equipment kits and 5,500 crop protection storage boxes were distributed free of charge.

The Pragati initiative’s launch of the Sustainable Castor Association (SCA) set new standards for supply chains. The SCA’s certification process guarantees the quality and sustainability of castor beans, empowering downstream companies to offer sustainable certified castor products.

Following a successful audit of our supply chain by an independent certification body, BASF was the first chemical company to achieve SuCCESS certification at its Düsseldorf site in Germany in 2021.

In addition, our sites in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and Guangzhou, China, were certified in May 2024.

Our leading in promoting sustainable castor sourcing through the Pragati project and the SuCCESS code not only demonstrates our commitment to environmental and social responsibility, but also ensures that our customers can rely on sustainably sourced castor raw materials, setting new standards of excellence in the industry.

The project, based in Vietnam, was preceded by research into the potential personal care benefits of extracts from different parts of the rambutan tree and its fruit. This was made possible in large part by BASF’s interdisciplinary innovation platforms for active ingredients, one of which focuses on the extraction of valuable components from plant material.

Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), native to the humid tropics of Southeast Asia, is closely related to the lychee and is cultivated primarily for its fruit. It has also been traditionally valued throughout Asia for various health benefits.

BASF’s Rambutan program, that aims to valorize the non-edible parts, respects the needs and interests of local ecosystems, as well as smallholders and workers. It helps protect biodiversity, while improving the livelihoods of local people involved in the cultivation and harvest.

Learn more about our sustainable rambutan strategy.