Body Shop drops supplier after report of peasant evictions in Colombia

[Judi Lynn]

Body Shop drops supplier after report of peasant evictions in Colombia
Christian Aid welcomes 'very strong signal' from Body Shop about unacceptable behaviour of its palm oil supplier
Rajeev Syal and Sibylla Brodzinsky in Bogotá
The Observer, Sunday 3 October 2010

The Body Shop is breaking commercial links with a major palm oil supplier in the wake of disclosures by the Observer that the company had pushed for the eviction of hundreds of peasants in Colombia to develop a new plantation.

This newspaper reported last September that Daabon Organic, which provided the cosmetics giant with 90% of all its palm oil, was part of a consortium that asked the courts to remove farmers from a ranch 200 miles (320km) north of the capital, Bogotá.

The Body Shop said that, after a nine-month inquiry, it had terminated its relationship with Daabon, which once supplied the British company with enough oil to produce eight million bars of soap a year. The decision has been hailed as a victory by peasant farmers who are still trying to return to the land. Misael Payares, leader of the Las Pavas community, said: "Daabon knows now that the world is watching."

Catherine Bouley, a manager for Christian Aid which has backed the farmers, applauded the Body Shop's decision, but added that the dispute still goes on. "We very much hope Daabon will heed the very strong signal sent by the Body Shop, that their behaviour is unacceptable," she said.

More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/oct/03/body-shop-palm-oil-supplier

[naaman fletcher]

1. Good news

I wish more companies would take a stand like this.