Community Fair Trade is our bespoke fair trade programme. It helps our suppliers gain market access and invest in social and environmental projects that benefit their communities, and it helps us fill our products with the good stuff.

We launched Community Fair Trade in 1987, but back then it was known as Trade Not Aid. Over 30 years later, this ethos is still going strong. From handcrafted shea butter in Ghana to recycled paper gift bags in Nepal, we source ingredients and packaging from across the planet, which provides vital financial independence for our partners. Many of them are women living in rural areas, with limited economic opportunities. This helps drive our goal of business as a force for good, and we’re incredibly proud of it.

We strive to develop long-term trade partnerships, and have worked with many of our suppliers for decades. We offer favorable trade terms, targeted producer support and access to an international trade market. Some suppliers also receive an additional fund to invest in community projects such as education, healthcare and sanitation. Hundreds of thousands of people have benefited from these projects, including the families and neighbors of producers.

We’re incredibly proud of what we and our suppliers have achieved, and we aim to continue creating positive social and environmental impact in communities where our trade can be most beneficial in the future.

Community Fair Trade is every bit as relevant and important today as it was in 1987. All over the world, people still don’t have access to decent working conditions and fair trading practices. Community Fair Trade is our heritage and it will always be the heart of The Body Shop