This month our guest writer Paul McGreevy, International Values and R&D Director at The Body Shop, argues that the recession is not the time to relent on your commitment to ethical trade and Corporate Social Responsibility
People’s awareness of ethical trade is constantly increasing and companies are becoming ever more responsible. However, with a global recession and pressure on companies to improve their operating costs, we are at a critical juncture where companies could relapse on what have been progressive improvements. The sustainability and productivity of suppliers through ethical trade has proven to improve when we focus on the welfare of workers. As such, this is absolutely not the time to relent to these pressures, but a time to invest even more in ethical trade.
When we work with our partners in ethical trade, no matter which company we are, we need to ensure that suppliers do not become audit savvy, i.e. focused on how to pass an audit. Ethical trade should not be about audits or ticking boxes, but should instead be about assessment with thought given to continuous improvement through positive engagement and mutual, long-term commitment. As ever, for a long-term plan in ethical sourcing to be achievable, it has to be practical for your business, respecting the resources you have and the demands of your business.
At The Body Shop we have made significant strides in ensuring the welfare of workers in our supply chain by integrating the principles set forth by The Ethical Trading Initiative. We are pleased to share what we do in our latest Values Report, Striving to be a Force for Good, which provides an in-depth insight of how we integrate ethical and social responsibility into our everyday workings. (It is available online at www.thebodyshop.com/forceforgood)
The Values Report expands on the approach The Body Shop takes to Community Fair Trade, which is our quality ingredient sourcing programme benefiting more than 300,000 people in marginalised communities around the world; on our continuous commitment to animal welfare; on achievements in protecting the planet; and on our on-going campaigns to defend human rights. To bring this all to life, the Report details a number of Community Fair Trade projects, such as the world’s first organic fair trade alcohol in Ecuador and our latest award-winning ‘Stop Sex Trafficking of Children’ campaign. Not only has that campaign changed the law in over 15 countries, it has also delivered the largest Human Rights petition to the UN Council in its history, with over seven million signatures—a feat for which we are immensely proud.
Although pioneers of ethical trade, our commitment to go beyond conventional Corporate Social Responsibility has never been stronger; we know that what we do today is never enough and that we should constantly be raising the bar.
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