The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), in partnership with the Southern African Essential Oil Producers’ Association, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) and the UN Industrial Development Organisation (Unido), will host the Essential Oils Conference at Rosemary Hill, Pretoria East, on July 23 and 24.
The conference comes at a time of growing global demand for natural ingredients, sustainable cosmetics and plant-based wellness products, providing a platform for industry stakeholders to explore opportunities to strengthen South Africa’s competitiveness in the rapidly expanding essential oils market, the dtic points out.
Through a focus on quality, innovation, value addition and export readiness, the conference aims to position the country’s biodiversity economy to capture a greater share of international trade while supporting industrialisation, rural development and inclusive economic growth.
The conference forms part of the Unido-Seco Global Quality and Standards Programme, a 42-month partnership with the dtic to strengthen South Africa’s quality infrastructure, improve compliance with international standards and enhance the competitiveness of locally produced essential and vegetable oils in global markets.
