The Body Shop has supported the launch of three conservation projects in India, Ecuador and Rwanda by investing over $800,000 (£500,000) to help establish ‘bio-bridges’.
‘Bio-bridges’ aim to restore damaged landscapes and help endangered species. They also foster sustainable solutions in local communities.
Currently, the Western Ghat Mountain Range in India is home to more than 300 globally threatened species, including the rusty spotted cat and asian elephant. With the help of World Land Trust, The Body Shop aims to protect 2.8 million square metres of habitat in the region with donations made from every transaction throughout April, May and June.
This project began in 2016 with the launch of the first bio-bridge in the Khe Nuoc Trong Forest in Vietnam. Hunting, poaching and small-scale timber logging were the main threats facing this area. Since then, The Body Shop has funded over $500,000 (£320,000) to help protect the ecosystem and the endangered red-shanked douc monkey that calls it home.
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The bio-bridges restored in India, Ecuador and Rwanda will be the final of the World Bio-Bridges Mission “as we currently know it”, as the brand plans for a new project to commence in 2020.
Christopher Davis, International Director of Campaigns & Corporate Responsibility for The Body Shop: “We are extremely proud of the impact we’ve had through our World Bio-Bridge Mission. The programme was created so areas of rich biodiversity can be protected for generations and that is what has been achieved.”
The Body Shop and its late founder Anita Roddick are heralded as pioneers in ethical and green consumerism. Roddick began The Body Shop in her late 30s where it was positioned as the UK’s first natural beauty company.