Sustainability Impact Report 2024
A leading speciality ingredients company
As the name behind some of the world’s most successful brands, we combine our knowledge, passion and entrepreneurial spirit to develop and supply innovative ingredients relied on by industries and consumers around the world. Our Purpose, Smart science to improve lives™, underpins our approach and guides what we do.
We typically sell innovative ingredients to product manufacturers, in the consumer care, agrochemical, or pharmaceutical sectors. Our ingredients provide vital functionality at low inclusion levels, ensuring efficacy or helping to differentiate customers’ products, with consumers benefitting through the application of those products.
We operate across a global footprint with regional manufacturing operations, complemented by local warehousing, sales and innovation center's. This ensures we are close to customers and can collaborate with them to deliver innovation, while maintaining high service levels. As of December 2022, all of our locations have approved 2030 decarbonisation roadmaps, as part of our ambition to become Climate Positive.
Our Purpose
Our Purpose, Smart science to improve lives™, remains constant and is embedded throughout our company. It guides how we operate and aligns our efforts to deliver positive impact for stakeholders.
We strive to create an inclusive culture where our people feel able to give their best every day, are respected for who they are an recognised for the contribution they make.
Since launching our Commitment in 2020, we have made significant progress towards many of our milestones and 2030 targets. We have learned where we need to focus our efforts to maximise impact, and connected our Purpose and corporate strategy with our business plans, engaging our people around the Croda world.
Sustainability
We use smart science to create high performance ingredients and technologies that improve people's lives. We target long-term, global positive impacts on climate, nature and society. We work with suppliers, customers, their consumers, and other stakeholders across our value chains to ensure sustainability, innovation, quality and resource efficiency are at the forefront of every Croda ingredient, process and relationship. Five years ago, Croda launched our Commitment to be Climate, Land and People Positive by 2030. Halfway through this decade of action, we have already delivered on many of our milestones, and even some 2030 objectives early.
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Case study: Impactful innovation and thought leadership driving sustainable change
Croda has helped customers get ahead of the regulations, educating them on the transition to micro-plastic free (MPF) technology and delivering an expanded portfolio of microplastic compliant seed coatings.
First to market…
In 2021, Incotec, Croda’s seed enhancement business, pioneered the first innovative MPF film coat offerings for field crops and vegetables. Seed treatment is used in agriculture to improve the yield of vegetable and field crop seeds and to increase their resistance to disease and pests. These new products built readiness ahead of current and anticipated regulatory changes: meeting or exceeding the industry standards while being safe for seed, safe for the environment and safe for those who handle them.
...and a thought leader
Over the past five years, Incotec has played a leading role within the International Seed Federation (ISF) providing expertise and insights towards industry statements1, webinars and conference panel discussions. To cater to industry needs, Incotec also publicised an industry-facing newsletter on this topic; answering questions, staying abreast of regulation developments and showcasing its market and technical knowledge 2. More recently, these newsletters have extended to whitepaper publications, setting out recommendations for the seed industry to transition to microplastic-free treatments.
Taking responsibility for the environmental impacts
There is growing concern all over the world on the topic of microplastics accumulating in the environment and ending up in water and food systems. Agricultural activity accounts for about 10% of the total microplastic release. While seed treatment accounts for only a small part of that, Croda recognised that early adoption and transition to avoid the use of microplastic would enhance the contribution of our industry in reducing the environmental impact of microplastics.
Enabling legislation to be effective
The restriction on intentionally added microplastics to seed was adopted in Europe in autumn 2023, with a total ban on sales coming into effect in 2028 for film coatings. Customers in Europe will be affected first, but a similar course of action will likely be seen elsewhere. Incotec’s early engagement in understanding the context and impact of developing regulation and their innovative solutions has ensured the industry is both ready and capable of adopting microplastic technologies. The need for microplastic seed treatments has never been greater.
"The seed industry is committed to effective and harmonised global practices, recognising the urgent need to address microplastics in agriculture. Collaboration and commitment from key industry stakeholders, such as Incotec, continues to be essential to driving (next generation) sustainable solutions". Michael Keller, International Seed Federation