Zalabí is proud to announce that our regenerative production model has been recognized with the 2nd Prize at the IFEAT Sustainability Award 2025, in the category of companies with fewer than 250 employees. Competing against much larger and long-established players, this recognition is especially remarkable for a young company like ours, with only a few years of history.
This award highlights not only our work in sustainability but also our conviction that without deep transformation, the global essential oil sector risks undermining its own future. For too long, unsustainable, questionable, and unregulated practices have undermined both trust and value. Zalabí shows another path is possible.
A Circular Model Born in the Mediterranean
At Zalabí, we grow and distill native aromatic plants such as thyme, rosemary, Spanish marjoram, and sage across hundreds of hectares of certified organic farmland. Our approach is rooted in regenerative agriculture:
- Minimal water use powered by solar irrigation from Sierra Nevada snowmelt aquifers.
- Fully solar-powered distillery where steam is generated from recycled biomass.
- Zero-waste system: residues are reused as mulch, energy, or natural soil enrichment.
- Biodiversity enhancement through protected oak groves, wild corridors, and restored ponds that now attract deer and wild boar absent for decades.
This is not an incremental change—it is a disruptive model that challenges local industry norms still heavily dependent on fossil fuels, plastic sheeting, and unverified sourcing. It drastically reduces the carbon footprint of essential oil production, proving that regenerative agriculture and circular energy are more than theory—they are reality.
A Socially Rooted Transformation
Sustainability at Zalabí goes hand in hand with people and community. Based in Guadix, one of Spain’s most depopulated regions, we are recognized as a dignified employer in rural areas:
- All jobs are formal, fairly paid, and inclusive, with flexible conditions for single parents.
- Field workers receive performance-based bonuses, a rare practice in agriculture that empowers accountability and motivation.
- As members of UEBT, our practices are externally verified—from contracts to field conditions.
Beyond our own team, we work hand in hand with farmers and distillers across Spain, helping them transition toward cleaner energy, regenerative practices, and fairer markets. As a result, the Zalabí model is shifting the culture of Spain’s aromatics sector—away from extractive logics and toward shared dignity and transparency.
In Spain, the essential oils sector has traditionally been shaped by vertical models, with a few large players influencing prices and many small producers left with limited options. Over time, this has led to price distortions, blurred production cost structures, and greater risks for those at the base of the chain—often leaving small farmers at a disadvantage.
At Zalabí, we break this cycle with a horizontal model: one where we share not only risks but also benefits and profits, creating fair agreements that turn “win-win-lose” into a genuine “win-win-win”—for nature, for producers, and for clients alike.
Globally Relevant and Replicable
Our model is scalable and adaptable. While born in southern Spain, its principles—solar energy, circular processes, fair labor, and transparent partnerships—are relevant worldwide.
Today, we are already collaborating with international partners who face similar challenges in their regions and are looking to adopt more sustainable, circular models of production. What we demonstrate in Spain can serve as a blueprint for regenerative essential oil production globally.
Looking Ahead
Winning the 2nd Prize at the IFEAT Sustainability Award is a milestone, but for us it is only the beginning. We believe that the future of natural ingredients lies in circularity, ethics, and co-responsibility.
“This recognition reinforces what we’ve believed since day one: essential oils can—and must—be produced in a way that regenerates nature, empowers people, and builds a fairer value chain.”
— Ramón Fernández, Managing Director, Zalabí
We thank IFEAT, the judging panel, and all our partners and supporters who make this journey possible. Together, we are showing that another model is not only possible—it is already here.
Photos: Ifeat, Zalabí
