The increasing appeal of sustainable products
There are however some companies that refuse to follow this same path. Local, cottage based industries that produce items using natural ingredients such as Shea Butter often have a number of benefits over mass producing companies, benefits that can affect the producers, the customers and the business itself in a positive way.So what are these benefits?
Support to Local Communities
By not mass producing a product or natural ingredient, local communities, which are often located in some of the world"s poorest regions, are not exploited. East African Shea Butter, which is sourced from civil war hotspots areas such as northern Uganda, is often produced in a way as to not exploit the local communities, such as making sure that the Shea Butter is not over farmed and enough is left over for future generations to benefit from.
Sustainable products allow for some of the money generated to be put back into the communities that produce it, allowing for improved living standards, increased education or simply making sure the product can be produced for many years to come by future generations.
A simple way to find out if a company or product supports sustainable development is by looking on their website. There should be some details outlining their commitments to sustainable development.
Protecting the Environment
By working in close partnership with suppliers, it is a lot easier for small cottage style industries to maintain and reduce the effects of environmental damage of their product. By working together with other organisations in the supply chain, businesses can keep the impact on the environment down to a minimum.
Many companies that are dedicated to protecting the environment such as Shea Butter producers in east Africa, do so by, for example, using waste generated by producing the commodity as fertiliser, or in other productive ways.
Attracts similarly minded customers
Businesses that support sustainability attract loyal, similarly minded customers who often buy the product for their stance on the environment and support of local communities as much as they do for their loyalty to the product itself.
Remember businesses that support sustainability will not be shy about advertising their stance. If you cannot see any information on sustainability on either the company"s website or marketing materials, the chances are they do not support sustainability.
By strictly controlling quality at the source, companies can sell sustainable, environmentally friendly and uncontaminated products that are more often than not made from higher quality ingredients when compared to mass producing rivals.
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