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Prize winner
Published by: Amity Research Centers
Published in: 2017

Abstract

Behind the glitter and gloss of the beauty industry, there were widespread allegations about the sweat and toil of children. Mica, the mineral that contributed to the shine in the cosmetics was available in plenty in the mines of Eastern India. These mines were mostly unregulated and the use of child labour was rampant. Driven by extreme poverty and oppression, children in these areas helped to supplement their family income by collecting mica from mines at the risk of their health and lives. With the boom in the 'natural' cosmetics industry, the need for mica was increasing, fetching a good price in the global export market. Lured by the profits, stakeholders turned a blind eye to the problem. In 2014, DanWatch, an independent research company had revealed that 12 out of 16 international cosmetics companies were using child labour for their products. One of the many consumers of mica from Indian mines was L'Oreal, a multinational beauty major. Following the allegations about child labour in its supply chain, L'Oreal announced that it hoped to procure mica from completely verified sources by the end of 2016. However, given the complex nature of the mica supply chain in India, this seemed a major challenge. Would companies like L'Oreal be able to establish supply chains that were totally free of child labour, contributing to long-term sustainability?
Locations:
Industry:
Other setting(s):
2016

About

Abstract

Behind the glitter and gloss of the beauty industry, there were widespread allegations about the sweat and toil of children. Mica, the mineral that contributed to the shine in the cosmetics was available in plenty in the mines of Eastern India. These mines were mostly unregulated and the use of child labour was rampant. Driven by extreme poverty and oppression, children in these areas helped to supplement their family income by collecting mica from mines at the risk of their health and lives. With the boom in the 'natural' cosmetics industry, the need for mica was increasing, fetching a good price in the global export market. Lured by the profits, stakeholders turned a blind eye to the problem. In 2014, DanWatch, an independent research company had revealed that 12 out of 16 international cosmetics companies were using child labour for their products. One of the many consumers of mica from Indian mines was L'Oreal, a multinational beauty major. Following the allegations about child labour in its supply chain, L'Oreal announced that it hoped to procure mica from completely verified sources by the end of 2016. However, given the complex nature of the mica supply chain in India, this seemed a major challenge. Would companies like L'Oreal be able to establish supply chains that were totally free of child labour, contributing to long-term sustainability?

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Locations:
Industry:
Other setting(s):
2016

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