How do we make sure that our products are responsibly sourced?
In 1987, The Body Shop launched Community Trade. One of the first examples of fair trade, Community Trade has numerous benefits for our company, our customers and our suppliers. Through our long term trading relationships, we do more than give a fair price. We offer our suppliers a predictable and regular income for their family and the security and confidence to develop their own businesses. In turn we can access some of nature’s finest ingredients, which are grown and harvested by expert local farmers, and our accessories are made using time-honoured techniques, helping to preserve a traditional way of life.
Wherever possible, we seek to use Community Trade ingredients in our products. Over the last two years, spending on Community Trade ingredients, gifts and accessories has risen from £6.4m to £7.4m. In the process, Community Trade allows our suppliers to build better futures for themselves and their communities. Today our programme benefits over 25,000 people in 22 countries worldwide, who supply us with 21 of our naturally derived ingredients and over 50 different gifts and accessories.
By 2010, we aim to use wood from responsibly managed sources, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), wherever possible.
The devastating environmental effect of palm-oil plantations on deforested land has been well documented. That’s why, as members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), we’ve worked to create new standards designed to help protect natural biodiversity and workers’ rights. We are proud to say that all of our 7.5m soaps sold annually are now produced using palm oil sourced from a plantation that is successfully audited in line with RSPO regulations.
We ask all our suppliers to sign the Code of Conduct which supports our Ethical Trade Programme, developed to improve conditions for all workers in the supply chain and to uphold their human rights. This code is strictly enforced and monitored to ensure standards are met regarding child labour, discrimination, and employee pay, hours and working conditions.
We’re committed to using responsibly sourced ingredients wherever possible, and working with the communities and people who supply us.
