IFF and Reservas Votorantim Sign Bioprospecting Partnership in Brazil

SÃO PAULO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 27, 2025--

IFF (NYSE: IFF) — a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients, health and biosciences — and Reservas Votorantim (rV), the green economy division of Brazilian investment firm, Votorantim SA, have signed a landmark partnership for research and bioprospecting in Legado das Águas, Brazil’s largest private Atlantic Forest reserve, owned by Reservas Votorantim. The agreement provides IFF and its subsidiary, LMR Naturals (LMR), exclusive access to the native flora of Legado das Águas with the aim of developing new and unique extracts for perfumery and cosmetics. As part of the deal, IFF will build a new research lab within rV’s existing site located in the heart of the 31,000-hectare reserve. The new facility will enable IFF scientists and experts — including perfumers and flavorists, along with LMR’s botanists and agronomists — to study and analyze nearly 1,000 species of flora.

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“Our partnership with Reservas Votorantim enables IFF to sustainably source fresh and inspiring ingredients from one of the planet’s most ecologically unique biomes, helping to further appreciation for Brazil’s Atlantic Forest,” said Charbel Bouez, senior vice president of R&D for IFF Scent. “The combination of rV’s strong community roots and LMR’s deep expertise in natural ingredients is uniquely positioned to deliver exciting innovations in fragrance and cosmetic ingredients.”

The partnership also places rV at the forefront of sustainable innovation in Brazil. By applying its deep expertise in land stewardship and crop science within the Atlantic Forest, rV plays a strategic role in enabling IFF’s development of nature-based solutions. This collaboration reinforces the position of the Legado das Águas reserve as a global model for biodiversity-driven innovation, demonstrating how conservation can unlock new business opportunities. Furthermore, as a global pioneer in fragrance, flavors and bioscience innovation, IFF is deeply invested in the Brazilian market—where demand for renewable ingredients is accelerating. The partnership supports the expansion of green economy initiatives and reinforces Brazil’s position as a hub for sustainable sourcing and ecological entrepreneurship.

“Since Legado das Águas was established 13 years ago, we’ve made consistent investments in scientific research, driven by the belief that deeper knowledge of the forest would unlock new opportunities,” said David Canassa, CEO of Reservas Votorantim. “Bioprospecting offers a range of solutions for society, which is why we began developing it years ago — culminating in what we believe is the largest genetic bank of Atlantic Forest species. It’s a powerful ally in advancing conservation.”

Through its first-ever bioprospecting partnership in Brazil, IFF aims to tap into growing consumer interest in Brazilian “super” ingredients. IFF’s activities will also include community outreach programs designed to provide technical guidance on best practice conservation methods and promote the cultivation of native plants with the potential to become the next ingredient sensations. Drawing on the deep expertise of LMR Naturals — IFF’s renowned platform for sustainably sourced, high-performance natural ingredients — the initiative will combine scientific rigor with local biodiversity to unlock new possibilities for fragrance and cosmetic innovation.

The newly formed strategic partnership with rV is also a reflection of IFF’s ongoing mission to Do More Good across its scent supply chain from seed to bottle, further aligning with rV’s research-led, “Multiple Land Use” approach to sustainable business development.

Learn more about IFF’s ongoing commitment to Make Joy through fragrance innovation here. Also, visit Reservas Votorantim to learn more about the Legado das Águas Atlantic Forest reserve.

Cautionary Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as “”plan”, “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “seek,” “see,” “will,” “would,” “target,” similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about the timing or nature of the new facilities. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update the forward-looking statement to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Welcome to IFF
At IFF (NYSE: IFF), we make joy through science, creativity and heart. As the global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients, health and biosciences, we deliver groundbreaking, sustainable innovations that elevate everyday products—advancing wellness, delighting the senses and enhancing the human experience. Learn more at iff.com, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Welcome to LMR
LMR is an IFF in-house capability which brings together the best of nature and cutting-edge technology to craft a wide range of pure ingredients for perfumery, cosmetics and flavors. Headquartered in Grasse, its team of agronomists travels the world to uncover, farm, harvest and extract the highest quality of natural ingredients that make the signature of unforgettable fragrances and flavors. Learn more at lmrnaturals.iff.com, Linkedin, and Instagram.

About Reservas Votorantim
Reservas Votorantim develops nature-based solutions for the green economy. The company manages a private territory of approximately 130,000 hectares in different biomes in Brazil, where it develops sustainable businesses based on the concept of multiple use of land and its biodiversity. Reservas Votorantim was founded in 2015 and is wholly owned by Votorantim S.A. Visit: https://www.reservasvotorantim.com/.

©2025 International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF). IFF, the IFF Logo, and all trademarks and service marks denoted with ™, SM or ® are owned by IFF or affiliates of IFF unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved.

(Credit: Reservas Votorantim) Images of Legado das Águas – Atlantic Forest Reserve in Brazil

(Credit: Reservas Votorantim) Images of Legado das Águas – Atlantic Forest Reserve in Brazil

A federal appeals panel on Thursday reversed a lower court decision that released former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil from an immigration jail, bringing the government one step closer to detaining and ultimately deporting the Palestinian activist.

The three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals didn’t decide the key issue in Khalil’s case: whether the Trump administration’s effort to throw Khalil out of the U.S. over his campus activism and criticism of Israel is unconstitutional.

But in its 2-1 decision, the panel ruled a federal judge in New Jersey didn’t have jurisdiction to decide the matter at this time. Federal law requires the case to fully move through the immigration courts first, before Khalil can challenge the decision, they wrote.

“That scheme ensures that petitioners get just one bite at the apple — not zero or two,” the panel wrote. “But it also means that some petitioners, like Khalil, will have to wait to seek relief for allegedly unlawful government conduct.”

Thursday’s decision marked a major win for the Trump administration’s sweeping campaign to detain and deport noncitizens who joined protests against Israel.

Tricia McLaughlin, a Homeland Security Department spokesperson, called the ruling “a vindication of the rule of law.”

In a statement, she said the department will “work to enforce his lawful removal order” and encouraged Khalil to “self-deport now before he is arrested, deported, and never given a chance to return.”

It was not clear whether the government would seek to detain Khalil, a legal permanent resident, again while his legal challenges continue.

In a statement distributed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Khalil called the appeals ruling “deeply disappointing."

“The door may have been opened for potential re-detainment down the line, but it has not closed our commitment to Palestine and to justice and accountability," he said. "I will continue to fight, through every legal avenue and with every ounce of determination, until my rights, and the rights of others like me, are fully protected.”

Baher Azmy, one of Khalil's lawyers, said the ruling was “contrary to rulings of other federal courts."

“Our legal options are by no means concluded, and we will fight with every available avenue,” he said.

The ACLU said the Trump administration cannot lawfully re-detain Khalil until the order takes formal effect, which won't happen while he can still immediately appeal.

Khalil’s lawyers can request that the panel's decision be set aside and the matter reconsidered by a larger group of judges on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, or they can go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

An outspoken leader of the pro-Palestinian movement at Columbia, Khalil was arrested last March. He then spent three months detained in a Louisiana immigration jail, missing the birth of his first child.

Federal officials have accused Khalil of leading activities “aligned to Hamas,” though they have not presented evidence to support the claim and have not accused him of criminal conduct. They also accused Khalil, 31, of failing to disclose information on his green card application.

The government justified the arrest under a seldom-used statute that allows for the expulsion of noncitizens whose beliefs are deemed to pose a threat to U.S. foreign policy interests.

In June, a federal judge in New Jersey ruled that justification would likely be declared unconstitutional and ordered Khalil released.

President Donald Trump's administration appealed that ruling, arguing the deportation decision should fall to an immigration judge, rather than a federal court.

Khalil has dismissed the allegations as “baseless and ridiculous,” framing his arrest and detention as a “direct consequence of exercising my right to free speech as I advocated for a free Palestine and an end to the genocide in Gaza.”

New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, said on social media Thursday that Khalil should remain free.

“Last year’s arrest of Mahmoud Khalil was more than just a chilling act of political repression, it was an attack on all of our constitutional rights,” Mamdani wrote on X. “Now, as the crackdown on pro-Palestinian free speech continues, Mahmoud is being threatened with rearrest. Mahmoud is free — and must remain free.”

Judge Arianna Freeman dissented Thursday, writing that her colleagues were holding Khalil to the wrong legal standard. Khalil, she wrote, is raising “now-or-never claims” that can be handled at the district court level, even though his immigration case isn't complete.

Both judges who ruled against Khalil, Thomas Hardiman and Stephanos Bibas, were Republican appointees. President George W. Bush appointed Hardiman to the 3rd Circuit, while Trump appointed Bibas. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, appointed Freeman.

The two-judge majority rejected Freeman's worry that their decision would leave Khalil with no remedy for unconstitutional immigration detention, even if he later can appeal.

“But our legal system routinely forces petitioners — even those with meritorious claims — to wait to raise their arguments," the judges wrote.

The decision comes as an appeals board in the immigration court system weighs a previous order that found Khalil could be deported to Algeria, where he maintains citizenship through a distant relative, or Syria, where he was born in a refugee camp to a Palestinian family.

His attorneys have said he faces mortal danger if forced to return to either country.

Associated Press writers Larry Neumeister and Anthony Izaguirre contributed to this story.

FILE - Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil holds a news conference outside Federal Court on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 in Philadelphia (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)