Podcast 291: Meet Forestwise, the ingredient supplier growing money on trees

What if the future of beauty lay not in cutting down rainforests, but in keeping them standing? This is exactly the vision behind Forestwise – the pioneering ingredient supplier proving that trees are worth far more alive than felled.

And in this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier – Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist, and CEO of Formula Botanica – interviews Alexander van Oord, Chief Commercial Officer at Forestwise.

Alexander explains how wild-harvested illipe nuts (which are then processed into illipe butter and oil) are already being used in global beauty products as a sustainable alternative to cocoa butter.

With beauty giants like Lush embracing this ingredient, demand is increasingly growing for forest-friendly raw materials that keep ecosystems intact while giving smallholder farmers a fair income.

If you’ve ever wondered how the products on your shelf could impact entire landscapes and livelihoods, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss. Tune in now!

“We create rainforest value – proving that local communities can earn a fair living while keeping forests standing, instead of cutting them down.” — Alexander van Oord

In this episode with Alexander van Oord, you will hear:

• How illipe nuts are harvested deep in the rainforest: Alexander paints a vivid picture of towering 50-metre trees and the painstaking process of gathering nuts as they fall naturally, before being sun-dried and processed into butter and oil. You’ll discover just how unique this wild ingredient is and why it offers so much potential.
• The story of Forestwise and its mission: Founded eight years ago in West Kalimantan, Borneo, Forestwise set out to stop deforestation by creating sustainable income alternatives to palm oil. Alexander explains how the company’s approach connects rainforest communities with global markets.
• Why illipe butter excites beauty and food industries: Learn how this natural butter rivals cocoa butter in texture and performance – used in lip balms, creams and even chocolate. With its high melting point and moisturising properties, it is gaining traction as a versatile, sustainable replacement ingredient.
• The role of partnerships with brands like Lush: Alexander shares how Lush became their biggest customer, now using illipe butter in over 50 products. He explains how committed partnerships can help small suppliers scale impact and inspire change across the industry.
• Forestwise’s vision for rainforest protection: Hear Forestwise’s ambitious plans to protect 100,000 hectares of forest, diversify into new crops like natural latex and palm sugar, and create a model for regeneration that could reshape how we think about sourcing ingredients.

Key takeouts include:

• Illipe butter is more than an ingredient – it’s a lifeline: For the 1,800 smallholders Forestwise works with, selling illipe nuts can provide three to four months of their annual income. Without this, many would have no choice but to turn to palm oil monocultures. Forestwise helps secure livelihoods while protecting ecosystems.
• Traceability and certification are non-negotiable: Forestwise has developed rigorous systems – from Ecocert organic certification to a new traceability app – that allow customers and even end consumers to follow the journey of an ingredient from forest to finished product. This transparency sets a new standard for ethical sourcing.
• Diversification is key to long-term impact: Illipe harvests only happen every couple of years. To ensure year-round income for farmers, Forestwise is expanding into natural latex, kukui nut oil, and palm sugar. By building a “basket” of products, they can strengthen livelihoods and reduce reliance on destructive practices.
• Consumers and brands both hold power: Alexander stresses that while consumers can choose products that use forest-friendly ingredients, it is ultimately brands that must take responsibility by sourcing sustainably. If more companies acted like Lush – embedding ethics in their DNA – the beauty industry could completely transform.

Meet our guest: Alexander van Oord, Chief Commercial Officer at Forestwise

Alexander van Oord is the Chief Commercial Officer at Forestwise, a pioneering company dedicated to creating #RainforestValue. Forestwise’s mission is to protect rainforests by empowering local communities and developing sustainable products that generate social, environmental, and commercial impact.

Since joining Forestwise three years ago, Alexander has played a key role in shaping and expanding the company’s value propositions. He focuses on building partnerships with brands and industries that recognise the importance of sourcing responsibly while contributing to rainforest conservation. His role bridges commerce and purpose, ensuring that sustainable practices drive long-term business growth as well as meaningful change for people and planet.

Prior to Forestwise, Alexander built a successful career as a commercial, sales, and marketing leader in the consumer goods and small domestic appliances industries. His background in driving growth and brand development now fuels his commitment to transforming rainforest resources into impactful, sustainable opportunities.

Find out more about Alexander and Forestwise:

• Website: Forestwise
• Socials: @forestwise.earth | @forestwise.3
• LinkedIn: Alexander van Oord | Forestwise
• Products: Forestwise’s website/Lush – look for illipe butter in ingredient lists

Recommended episodes:

• Episode 213: Exploring regenerative beauty with LUSH
• Episode 239: How one Indonesian island community is conserving wildlife through coconut oil

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Lorraine Dallmeier

Lorraine Dallmeier is a Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award-winning online organic cosmetic science school. Read more about Lorraine and the Formula Botanica Team.