Nagpur: The Body Shop has launched a new campaign for a global ban on cosmetics’ animal testing for products and ingredients by 2020, revolutionizing the beauty industry and protecting millions of innocent animals around the world. Partnering with the leading non – profit organization, ‘Cruelty Free International’, the brand will work to end animal testing and will take the campaign to the highest authority, the United Nations, and request an international convention banning cosmetics testing on animals.
The potential for animal testing is still a huge risk around the world, with over 80% of countries still having no laws against testing in cosmetics. Despite the fact that most countries do not require safety data based on animal tests and reliable alternatives are available and that beauty companies like The Body Shop use innovative and effective cruelty–free ingredients in their products. Cruelty Free International estimates that approximately 500,000 animals are still used in some countries in cosmetics testing every year.
The Body Shop and Cruelty Free International’s new campaign is calling for an international ban on animal testing in cosmetics, on both products and ingredients, everywhere and forever. It is the most ambitious campaign ever against animal testing, and aims to engage eight million people to sign the petition calling on the United Nations to introduce an international convention to end the practice once and for all. The petition can be signed online or at any of The Body Shop’s 3,000 stores across the world. Consumers are being encouraged to use the campaign hashtag, #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting, on social media to raise awareness of the issue.
Talking about the campaign, Jacqueline Fernandez, Brand Ambassador of The Body Shop India said, “Real beauty cannot be achieved at the cost of harming anyone especially animals. The concept of animal testing for cosmetic brands should be banned”. “A socially responsible conglomerate would prefer not to implement testing measures that prove hazardous to anyone’s health. That’s why I extend support to The Body Shop’s noble initiative to end this atrocious practice across this industry by launching a campaign to spread a global ban on animal testing of cosmetic products and ingredients. I request you all to sign the petition and save our animals”, she added.
“We are pleased to say that India was the first country in South Asia to ban Animal Testing in 2013. The Body Shop is proud to be a cruelty free brand and a staunch supporter of effective, modern, non-animal alternatives to cosmetic animal testing. With our’ Forever Against Animal Testing’ (FAAT) campaign we are asking our customers to help us end the unnecessary and out-dated practice of animal testing for good by signing the petition in our stores or on our website”, said Shriti Malhotra, COO, The Body Shop India says,
Jessie Macneil – Brown, Senior Manager International Campaigns and Corporate Responsibility, The Body Shop, says: “The Body Shop passionately believes that no animal should be harmed in the name of cosmetics and that animal testing on products and ingredients is outdated, cruel and unnecessary. This is why we and Cruelty Free International have partnered to deliver the largest and most ambitious campaign ever to seek a global ban on the use of animals to test cosmetic products and ingredients.”
The Body Shop and Against Animal Testing The Body Shop was the first international beauty brand to campaign against the practice of animal testing in cosmetics in 1989, leading the way to a European Union-wide ban on animal testing in 2013. The campaign, conducted in partnership with Cruelty Free International, collected 1 million signatures and triggered significant progress across the Asia Pacific region.
