10-12. Should ethical sourcing be the default standard for all businesses? (AACSB: Communication; Reflective Thinking; Ethical Reasoning)

Lush, the fresh cosmetics company, was launched in 1995. The team behind the new business had designed many of the most successful body shop products. In less than 20 years, Lush has grown to over 850 stores in over 50 countries worldwide and includes over 6,000 employees.
From the outset, the company was concerned about ensuring that they ethically sourced their product ingredients.
This has become a key USP, and together with its anti-animal testing stance and freshly made ethos, it sets the business apart from most of its competitors. It does mean that the prices for products are marginally higher, but this is offset by the unique minimalist packaging and general vibe of the brand.
When Lush looks for suppliers, they consider the whole picture. To them, it is important that to take into account the conditions under which any workers may operate, whether production of the ingredient impacts on the environment, whether the ingredients are vegetarian and have not been tested on animals, and whether the impact from transportation is minimal.
Today, Lush indirectly supports 400 women in Ghana who supply fair trade shea butter and have stopped using palm oil from Indonesia in order to protect the natural habitat of the orang-utan. They also buy directly from small farmers in Tunisia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Laos.