AROMATICA has long drawn inspiration from nature, creating products based on essential oils and plant-derived ingredients. The scent and vitality of plants are part of the power of nature that AROMATICA believes in. But that power does not come from plants alone. Only when there is soil where plants can take root, land where water can stay, and an ecosystem where countless forms of life coexist can plants grow, carry their scent, and continue their vitality.
Soil is the most fundamental ground that nurtures this vitality. Plant roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil, while microorganisms break down organic matter and transform it into forms that plants can use. Healthy soil holds water and slowly releases it, stores carbon, and becomes a home where diverse living organisms can thrive.
However, reckless development and urbanization, the expansion of farmland, industrialized agriculture centered on monoculture, and excessive use of chemical fertilizers weaken soil health. Industrialized agriculture, in particular, has been pointed out as one of the major causes of soil degradation and biodiversity loss. When soil becomes weakened, it is not only plants that are affected. The lives of microorganisms and insects in the soil change, nutrient cycles slow down, and the strength that allows plants to grow healthily begins to decline. A crisis in soil becomes a crisis for plants, and a crisis for plants eventually leads to a crisis in the balance of the ecosystem.
Soil, Where Vitality Begins
That is why nature should not be something we simply consume and pass by. It is a foundation that must continue to be cared for and restored.
So AROMATICA decided to look more deeply into the place where our products begin. We began to think about the land where plants grow, the ecosystem surrounding that land, and how the vitality of that place can continue in a healthy way. This reflection became the starting point of Project Soil.
Biodiversity, a Clue to Recovery
Then how can land and ecosystems recover? One clue lies in biodiversity.
Biodiversity does not simply mean that many living organisms exist. It refers to a state where different forms of life play their own roles, influence one another, and maintain balance. Think of our own communities. If we look at them from only one narrow perspective, or exclude what is different, it would be difficult to call them healthy communities. When different beings play their roles in their own places and create balance, a community becomes stronger.
Nature works in the same way. Plants, insects, microorganisms, and animals are all connected. Some plants hold the soil in place, some insects carry pollen, and some microorganisms break down organic matter. When diverse forms of life exist together, the ecosystem becomes more resilient and gains greater strength to respond to change.
But there are species that can disrupt this balance. They are known as invasive species, or ecosystem-disturbing species.
These species spread too quickly in certain environments, threatening the space of organisms that originally lived there and disturbing the balance of the ecosystem. With strong reproductive power and adaptability, they can cover a wide area in a short period of time. When they spread, the space and light available for other plants decrease, and the vegetation of a region can gradually become simplified. When one species becomes overly dominant, other plants lose their place. And when plants decline, the environment for the insects and small organisms that depend on them also changes.
Through Project Soil, AROMATICA hopes to create small openings where this balance can begin to recover.
As one part of this effort, we are removing ecosystem-disturbing plants to help create conditions where local ecosystems can recover on their own. This means opening up space so that other plants can receive sunlight again, and creating the possibility for the local ecosystem to regain a more diverse form. This is why we see this activity as one of the important pillars of Project Soil.
This Year Begins at Osancheon Stream
This year’s Project Soil began at Osancheon Stream.
Osancheon Stream flows from Yongin to Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi-do, and is known as Korea’s first national river restored as an ecological stream. Once avoided by citizens because of pollution and unpleasant odors, it has gone through continuous restoration. Today, the ecosystem has recovered enough for otters, designated in Korea as a Natural Monument and Class I endangered wildlife species, to be found there.
We do not have to go far away to encounter nature. This year, we decided to look closely at the nature near our Osan site, where we work every day. We wanted to see what kinds of plants were growing in the landscapes we often pass by, and what changes were taking place among them.
Following last year, we decided to focus once again on Japanese hop, or Humulus japonicus, an ecosystem-disturbing invasive vine species. The name may sound unfamiliar, but once you visit the site, its presence is unmistakable. Japanese hop is an annual vine that grows quickly in sunny areas such as riversides, fields, and roadsides, wrapping tightly around nearby plants as it climbs.
Removing Japanese hop is not something that can simply be cleared away with machinery. It is carried out by hand, carefully untangling the vines one by one. Because it grows tightly wrapped around surrounding plants, cutting or pulling it carelessly can affect not only the Japanese hop but also the other plants growing beside it.
So instead of focusing on speed, we checked each area carefully as we removed the vines. In total, the number of Japanese hop leaves collected from Osancheon Stream reached 6,479.
This year’s Project Soil does not end with removing Japanese hop from Osancheon Stream.
Going forward, we plan to observe the coverage rate before and after removal, as well as changes in the surrounding vegetation. Step by step, we will record what kinds of changes this small activity creates in the ecosystem of Osancheon Stream.
Even in Osancheon Stream, where we stayed only briefly, there were more stories hidden than we expected once we looked closely. We will continue to share the moments of change that Project Soil encounters at Osancheon Stream this year, one episode at a time.
Please stay tuned. 🪱🌳