LIVING OUR VALUES
Values repOrt 2009
COmmUNITY TRADE gIfTS AND ACCESSORIES
We adopt a different approach to expansion with our gifts and accessories suppliers. tight development lead times combined
with our high volumes means it is harder to develop long term relationships. in 2006, we decided we needed to consolidate our
gifts and accessories suppliers. We achieved this, thereby protecting the level of trade we have with our 9 ongoing suppliers.
BAg fOR LIfE
in 2007 we launched our new bag for life, sourced from our original Community trade supplier, teddy exports in southern
india. this bag is one of the many that we continue to design and develop with teddy and is made from organically grown
cotton. Our bag for life is sold in stores round the word, with a proportion of the profits going to a charity Children On the edge.
Children On the edge works with some of the most vulnerable and marginalised children around the world, advocating for all
of their rights in accordance with the principles and provisions of the un Convention on the rights of the Child. in the usa and
Canada, a proportion of the sales go to local domestic violence charities:
DONATIONS TO CHILDREN ON THE EDgE THROUgH BAg fOR LIfE SALES
5 £553,392
DONATIONS £
4
£400,836
3
2
1
0
2007 2008
‘CREATE YOUR OwN’
Our ‘Create your Own’ bags and boxes are produced in india and nepal by teddy exports and get paper industries (gpi)
respectively, providing employment and social benefits to hundreds of craftsmen and women. both these suppliers have
groundbreaking hiV/aids awareness campaigns that we are proud to support through our ongoing trading relationship.
in 2008 get paper industries in nepal used a portion of the trade income from the body shop to fund the ngO called
general Welfare pratisthan, or gWp. in 2008, gWp extended its education outreach work to include a remote community of
stone-cutters.
ORgANIC COTTON
throughout the last 2 years, the body shop Community trade team has been working closely with the suppliers of cotton items
to convert Community trade to an ‘organic cotton only’ programme. now 95% complete, this means that almost all of our bags,
staff t-shirts, moisturising socks and gloves now originate from traceable organic supply chains.
BIHAR fLOODS
We were saddened to see the terrible floods in bihar in 2008. One of our Community trade suppliers, tara products, from
whom we buy our soapstone burners, was active in the relief effort that ensued. supported by a strong fair trade network with
the body shop as one of its long-term customers, tara provided aid to the areas concerned.
fUTURE PLANS
there are 2 new Community trade accessory suppliers who are currently under review, both in india, strengthening the
relationship that the body shop has with the country where Community trade began.
INDEPENDENT COmmENTARY fROm ALAN kNIgHT
“Community trade is a powerful story. i look forward to seeing a clearer explanation of Community trade in stores.”
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