Case study: Boots Extracts – developed to make a difference

The Boots Extracts range is one of the first complete ranges of beauty care products to be certified by The Fairtrade Foundation to contain Fairtrade ingredients. Boots UK has been working with The Fairtrade Foundation for over a year to develop the range.

Fairtrade does not just mean paying a fair price; it is an entirely different way of doing business that helps people in the world's most marginalised communities escape poverty and promote sustainability. Boots UK has worked with its ingredient suppliers to trace the supply chain back to the original producers. For example, the cocoa beans used in its Extracts Fairtrade products are sourced from a Dominican Republic farm cooperative called Conacado. The Fairtrade Foundation ensures that the farmers are paid a fair price plus an additional social premium to invest in their communities.

"It is really important for our customers to know where we source our raw ingredients. Our Extracts range uses natural ingredients sourced from disadvantages communities. This not only provides us with great products but, by working with The Fairtrade Foundation, we ensure a fair price is paid for the produce. This enables these communities to invest in their long-term future. We have always aimed to develop sustainable relationships with our suppliers and my hope is that we can further develop this concept to provide sustainable, long-term trading relationships with disadvantaged communities from around the world."

Stephen Johnson, Boots UK's Sustainable Development Manager

Fairtrade Cocoa Butter Project

In the mid 1980s the cocoa producers in The Dominican Republic had little knowledge of sustainable farming, and were not making strong profits, forcing them to travel to cities to work as labourers to earn a wage. The farmers then formed a cooperative with the intention of protecting the price of cocoa beans from global market fluctuations to enable poor farm workers guaranteed payments for the cocoa beans they grow.

The cocoa industry generates rural employment and 40,000 Dominican households depend directly on cocoa. Conacado was first Fairtrade certified in 1995 and now sells almost 50% of its production to the Fairtrade market. The launch of a FAIRTRADE Mark for beauty care products will broaden this market, increasing the benefits for the farmers.