GREENTECH

products for life

By Jean-Yves Berthon, CEO of the Greentech Group

The story begins thirty years ago, in 1992.

For the first time, the issue of countries’ environmental responsibility was raised on a global scale: the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro laid the foundations for a better management of the planet, and established the concept of ‘sustainable development’.That same year in October, Greentech was created, one of the first French biotechnology companies.

Its ambitions were great: to explore the potential of living organisms, to go beyond research, to imagine applied biotechnologies in the fields of cosmetics, agronomy, pharmacy, agri-food, the environment, etc. The goal was to one day produce on a large scale, natural alternatives to the then predominant all-chemical model.

This is a story of pioneers, with all that that entails: exploring, trial and error, convincing… But starting before everyone else ultimately gave us a head start. In the mid-1990s, in the midst of the mad cow crisis, the cosmetics industry took a radical turn towards plants. We were ready to accompany this change. We transformed from scientists into explorers, travelling the world in search of natural raw materials, discovering sources, unknown plants, and micro-organisms, in the ground, in water, in ice, and even in the clouds at an altitude of 5,000 m …

Sourcing is not just about finding the right source; it is about preserving the right source. By carefully applying the recommendations of the Earth Summit – the conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of resources, and the fair and equitable sharing of their exploitation–we have laid the foundations of an ethical model, guaranteeing the future.

Over the years, cosmetics has naturally led us to a crossroads, towards applications in agronomy, nutrition, health, and the environment. At Greentech, plant, marine, and microbial biotechnology feed each other, merging with a whole range of scientific disciplines. The health of the soil is as important as the balance of the skin, vegetable proteins can compensate for animal proteins, algae are transformed into ingredients ensuring the nutrition of tomorrow, micro-organisms can replace chemical pesticides, and an understanding of microbiota opens up tremendous ground for shared progress…

However, in reality, nothing has really changed. In 2022, thirty years after the Earth Summit in Rio, the latest IPCC reports are a stark reminder that responses to climate change and pollution can no longer wait. But how can we provide enough healthy food and care for ten billion people in 2050, without completely ravaging the planet?

Now more than ever, biotechnologies represent an important part of the solution. Through concrete, effective, natural, and sustainable alternatives, producing without destroying, they are transforming industrial models, and reinventing consumer practices. Linked to the major challenges of the century, the companies of the Greentech Group and their teams strive to be committed players, serving future generations.

After more than thirty years of exploration, research, commitment, and the sharing of knowledge and resources, we are proud to have proven that a new, more resilient economy, based on renewable living resources, is possible on a large scale.

Greentech is now synonymous with products for life at the service of future generations, respectful of people and the environment, in the domains of agroecology, human and animal nutrition, health and the pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics and the environment.