Prof Ani Kurniawati: Agronomy is Key to Providing Raw Materials for the Natural Cosmetics Industry
Professor Ani Kurniawati, Professor at the Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, emphasized that agronomy is key to providing safe, high-quality, and sustainable plant raw materials for the natural cosmetics industry. She conveyed this message during the IPB University Professor’s Open Scientific Oration on Saturday (10/25) at the Dramaga Campus.
Prof Ani explained that Indonesia’s biological resources have great potential because they provide various bioactive compounds that can be used not only for food and traditional medicine, but also as cosmetic ingredients.
“The use of plants in cosmetics must preserve local wisdom and pave the way for high-value downstream products,” she said.
According to her, the trend of natural cosmetics or cosmeceuticals is currently growing rapidly globally. The natural cosmetics market is expected to continue to grow positively until 2027.
“Indonesia has a great opportunity to become a major player because of our extraordinary biodiversity,” explained Prof Ani.
She explained that the effectiveness of natural cosmetics is determined by the content of bioactive compounds in plants, such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, antibacterials, anti-aging agents, and skin brightening agents.
However, the availability of plant-based raw materials faces a number of challenges, including production that is still dependent on nature, fluctuations in bioactive content, and limitations in standardized cultivation.
“Most of the raw materials for cosmetic plants are still taken directly from nature. This causes an imbalance in the ecosystem and variation in the quality of the materials,” said Prof Ani.
She added that the management of agronomic factors such as fertilization, environmental conditions, and harvest time play a major role in determining the bioactive content of plants.
Prof Ani cited her research on jasmine, ylang-ylang, black cumin (Nigella sativa), mangosteen peel, and jicama.
“We found that harvest time and growth phase greatly affect the content of active compounds. For example, ylang-ylang from Kediri produces the highest essential oil content in the late flowering phase,” she explained.
Responding to questions about Indonesia’s low dominance in the global cosmetics market, Prof Ani assessed that weak cross-disciplinary collaboration remains a major challenge.
“To produce natural cosmetic products, synergy between agronomy, chemistry, pharmacy, and industry experts is needed. This chain must be strongly connected so that our products can compete in the global market,” she explained.
Prof Ani emphasized that the application of good agronomy principles will ensure that plant raw materials are not only productive but also safe for consumers, farmers, and the environment.
“Agronomy is not only about crop yields but also about ecosystem sustainability and the safety of all parties involved,” she said. (dr) (IAAS/LAN)
