Organic Monitor is hosting the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit in Latin America in São Paulo city on September 24 to 26th. The summit tackles major business and technical issues associated with green cosmetics and sustainability. Themes of the inaugural Latin American edition are biodiversity and ethical sourcing, sustainable ingredients and marketing best-practices. Opening speaker discusses the implications of Rio +20 on sustainable agriculture and ingredient sourcing. Daniel Sabará from Beraca gives a case study on how sustainable sourcing can create positive social impacts. A Colombian company discusses the challenges of developing actives from rare plant species whilst sharing benefits with indigenous communities. Shea butter will be used as a case study by AAK to illustrate how sourcing programs can encourage sustainability in Africa. Other papers in the sustainable ingredients session cover green chemistry principles, sustainable fragrances, new extraction techniques for actives, and the problems in switching from petrochemical to plant feedstock. The two largest Brazilian cosmetic companies – Natura Brasil and Grupo Boticario – will share their experiences in meeting the ecological and social challenges. Liliana George from Estee Lauder Companies will show how brands like Aveda can ingrain sustainability into their corporate DNA.