Fifteen years after food in the UK was first able to carry the Fairtrade mark beauty products are at last getting their chance. From today a range of beauty products carrying the Fairtrade mark will be available in the UK, with the first five British companies with accreditation including high street names Boots, Lush and Neal’s Yard Remedies as well as smaller businesses Essential Care and Bubble&Balm, which literally launched its website at one minute past midnight to coincide with the Fairtrade launch. A sixth company, Visionary Soaps is to join these ranks soon and many more are expected to get involved. Products so far include body butters, lip balms, face masks and shower gels.
Harriet Lamb, executive director of the Fairtrade Foundation says: “Having Fairtrade certification is a unique opportunity for a company to build long-term relationships with suppliers and work together towards long-term interest. If companies based in the rich side of the world don’t establish equal and honest trade with the poorest suppliers, these will soon stop producing essential ingredients like shea nut butter and honey. Plus seven out of 10 people said that they would buy fair trade products if they had the choice. Manufacturers must be aware that having Fairtrade certification contributes to their brand positioning and image.”
There are minimum usage levels of fair trade ingredients for achieving the certification: 2% w/w for wash-off products and of 5% w/w for leave-on. But companies are also required to make a commitment to the values of the Fairtrade Foundation by establishing proactive trade relations with its suppliers. They should understand what the goals of the producers are and proactively help in this direction, for example sharing industry knowledge. Neal’s Yard, for instance, is helping its rooibos supplier in South Africa develop soap for the domestic market.
“Lush has always used Fairtrade cocoa butter in its Fair Trade Foot Lotion but this new category allows us to formalise our support to Fairtrade. The product will carry the Fairtrade mark, an independent consumer guarantee that suppliers are getting paid a fair wage for their produce,” says Lush representative Anna Sherwood Taylor.
The Fairtrade Foundation is a non-profit organisation that since 1992 has certified food, wine and cotton, promoting world justice and sustainable development. Moving into the C&T industry, up to now the Foundation has licensed 57 products and the number is expected to grow. “We’ve been struck by the enthusiasm with which companies have embraced this,” comments Chris Davis, director of producer partnerships for the Fairtrade Foundation. Thanks to volumes, product price is no longer a barrier; among the items on offer some cost little more than £2.
Fairtrade is not a directive but is about people becoming voluntarily proactive and Lamb is convinved the trend will soon take over worldwide. “The Fairtrade mark is going to be something like the internet – who got in first saw amazing results,” she says.