Guar derivatives are water-soluble, natural polymers made from the endosperm of guar seeds that are used to perform an abundance of functionalities in personal care products. Given the versatility of ingredient such as guar, it becomes ever more important to focus on the impact harvesting such an ingredient has not only for the earth, but for the community that grows it.
Since 2015, Solvay’s Sustainable Guar Initiative (SGI) has aimed to empower farmers with tools and knowledge for cultivating their crops. Aimed at developing sustainable guar production within the Bikaner district in Rajasthan, India, this desert district is one of the largest producers of guar in India. The program includes training in climate-smart agricultural practices to improve and stabilize guar yield and increase soil fertility. It also allows an overall improvement in climate preparedness and the region’s resilience. The program improves the livelihood of guar bean farmers by ensuring income durability and protecting local resources while considering the impact climate change has on their activities. The pillars of the SGI are:
- Climate Challenges: due to extended periods of no rainfall, there is a focus on enhancing sustainable practices for rain-fed guar production, implementing groundwater-neutral approaches, along with tree planting.
- Societal Impact: deployed to 36 villages with an enrollment of more than 7,000 farmers, 25% of whom are women. The culture yield enhancement compensates for the environmental burdens and increases not only a sustained income but also the quality of life for those in these Indian regions.
- Women Empowerment: bringing support and training through better nutrition, education, resources and hygiene to help them gain economic independence and contribute to household income.
- Traceability: major guar supply chain stakeholders are involved from production, to processing, to marketing.
Consider a guar such as Jaguar HP 120 COS that has high versatility with emollient, thickening, film-forming, and conditioning properties. Jaguar HP 120 COS is stable over a wide pH range and is compatible with electrolytes, polar solvents, glycols, and high levels of alcohol (up to 90%).
- Enables the creation of crystal clear formulations
- Disperses and hydrates quickly to allow savings in manufacturing cycle time
- Enable the reduction of the cationic surfactant level, allowing to formulate with reduced environmental impact
- Sensorial benefit with a smooth and soft feel even with a rinse off product
- Ease of combing and homogeneity of hair