Smart science to improve lives™

Creating an inclusive culture and unlocking potential

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.

commitment

Committed to sustainability

We are committed to becoming the most sustainable supplier of innovative ingredients. We will develop and supply solutions to tackle some of the biggest challenges the world is facing and by 2030 we will be Climate, Land and People Positive.

Our customers use our ingredients to differentiate their own products and to meet sustainability commitments, regulatory requirements and changing consumer demands. Climate change, biodiversity loss, widening inequalities, changing demographics, overexploitation of resources and innovation in digital technologies are transforming consumer demands. Through our customers and their products, our ingredients can improve consumers lives by minimising the negative impacts of consumption and help make positive impacts on planet and society.

Sustainability

2023 highlights

 
 

Sales

£1,694.5m

2022: £2,089.3m

Sales growth (constant currency)

-18.5%

2022: +5.2%

Adjusted profit before tax

£308.8m

2022: £496.1m

IFRS profit before tax

£236.3m

2022: £780.0m

Ordinary dividend (proposed full year)

0.9%

2022: +8.0%

Scope 1 & 2 emissions(TCO₂e)

101,246

(2022: 121,122)

Land area saved

58,815

Hectares (versus 2019 baseline)

Delivering positive impact

The breadth of our portfolio of sustainable ingredients and sector-leading Sustainability Commitment help us to have a positive impact on everyday life by...

Case study

…enhancing crop yields, enabling land savings and improving food security through the development of crop care technologies.

Employee case study

... preventing, treating and potentially curing diseases through the development of drug delivery systems

Case study

…reacting to climate change and nature loss through the delivery of our 2030 Commitment and use of sustainable feedstocks.

Case study

…sustainably improving lives through the Croda Foundation which is working to improve access to healthcare, reduce poverty and hunger, and protect and restore ecosystems.

Case study

…promoting the hygiene, health, wellbeing and confidence of consumers through the creation of impactful Consumer Care ingredients.

Employee Value Proposition

Meeting global challenges

Of the trends affecting our markets and supply chains, we have identified three global challenges that our strategy helps to address.

Feeding a growing population and restoring nature

Feeding a global population that is expected to reach 10 billion people by 2055 will require a 70% increase in agricultural output1. With most suitable land already farmed, increased output will come from higher yields and growing more resilient crops on less suitable land, supported by restoring degraded ecosystems and nature. 

Living more sustainably within planetary boundaries

Population growth and increasing consumption, fuelled by the expansion of the middle class particularly in developing countries, are putting pressure on planetary systems such as water, climate and biodiversity, and scarce natural resources. Addressing this challenge requires transformational new approaches to consumption and circularity. 

Global demand
for health and wellbeing

The pandemic has made consumers more conscious of their physical and mental wellbeing, and expanded demands on healthcare systems, already increasing due to a growing and ageing population. This has increased demand for effective ingredients that are underpinned by science and support physical and mental health.

Continued strategic investment

Well positioned for recovery

Completed the acquisition of Solus Biotech adding naturally-derived ceramides and phospholipids to the portfolio.

Prioritising investment in Consumer Care in Asia, with new R&D labs in Shanghai and a manufacturing site in India to be commissioned in 2025.

Scaling up Pharma to support ongoing expansion of customer drug pipelines, with a new R&D lab in India and additional nucleic acid delivery capacity expected on-stream in 2025.