The Body Shop International is a manufacturer and retailer of naturally inspired, ethically produced beauty and cosmetics products. The company has long appreciated the social and environmental impact that a global retailer can have through its supply chain, which is reflected in its Ethical Trade and Community Trade Programmes.
Community Trade
Community Trade is a targeted purchasing programme of natural ingredients and accessories from socially or economically marginalised communities around the world. It gives these producers access to a market that would otherwise be out of reach and provides a fair and reliable income, as well as a comittment to sustainable levels of business with The Body Shop. The Community Trade Programme has ensured that The Body Shop has access to a source of high quality, immediately traceable natural ingredients and is integral to the way The Body Shop sources products and accessories:
• In 2006, The Body Shop had 31 Community Trade suppliers, based across 24 countries, helping well over 15,000 people in their supply chain to receive a fair living income for their work;
• Every year The Body Shop buys more than 1000 tonnes of Community Trade ingredients. For example, they buy enough cocoa butter for 15 million chocolate bars, and enough honey for 60 million pieces of toast;
• In a recent customer survey, 70% of customers said that Community Trade was a reason that they shopped at The Body Shop
Ethical Trade
The primary purposes of the Ethical Trade programme at The Body Shop is to improve conditions for workers in the supply chain, ensuring that there are no human rights abuses, and to manage risk to The Body Shop brand.
In 1996 The Body Shop developed a Code of Conduct, which outlined the ethical standards to which all of their suppliers should adhere. In 2004, this Code was aligned to the Ethical Trade Initiative Base Code. All primary suppliers to The Body Shop are assessed against this Code and The Body Shop work with suppliers to correct non-compliances. By going through this audit process, suppliers become more viable as partners for other retailers and in some cases have stimulated suppliers to implement their own ethical trade programmes, in turn improving the compliance of second and third tier suppliers.
