Dr. Bronner’s to Celebrate World Fair Trade Day in the UK and More Than 20 Countries on May 12

Top-Selling Natural Soap Brand to Hold In-Store Promotions and Promote Fair Trade and Regenerative Organic Agriculture throughout May

April 22, 2018

London, UK – On May 12, Dr. Bronner’s, family-owned maker of the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America, in partnership with its global network of distributors, will celebrate World Fair Trade Day under the banner of “Nurturing Soil & Communities” in Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Panama, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Through educational events, in-store demonstrations and promotions, product giveaways, and social media campaigns, Dr. Bronner’s partners worldwide will use retail spaces to inform and educate the public about fair trade and regenerative organic agriculture, to promote the importance of knowing how people all along the supply chain are treated, and how informed and ethical consumption choices can lead to better livelihoods for all. In the UK, Dr. Bronner’s is collaborating with selected retailers, including Planet Organic, Wholefoods, and As Nature Intended, to highlight the availability and benefits of Fair Trade products and offer a discount on their signature castile soap.

“We are delighted to be working with our global partners on this annual event to promote the difference fair trade practice brings not only to communities but also to the environment at large. For many UK consumers, fair trade is still misunderstood so the more education we can bring around this practice, the better for us all.”

The 70-year-old family company sources its major raw materials from certified organic and fair trade projects around the world, including from Ghana (palm oil), Palestine and Israel (olive oil), and Sri Lanka (coconut oil). Dr. Bronner’s commitment to its fair trade supply chain is demonstrated in their eight-minute documentary, Journey to Serendipol, which is about Dr. Bronner’s Fair Trade and Organic Coconut Oil from Sri Lanka used in their products. To watch in English with subtitles available in Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin, go to: https://youtu.be/gtOQd748dC0.

“The philosophy of our family company led us to our supply chain not only being fair trade, but also to being regenerative organic, a form of agriculture that prioritizes soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness to address the problems of factory farming, climate change, and economic injustice, locally and globally,” says Michael Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s. “We source our raw ingredients from six continents and are sold all over the world as part of a global consciousness that values fair trade – thus we actively celebrate World Fair Trade Day. Our collective positive impact improving livelihoods by nurturing soil and communities through our products is maximized as we activate together on the same day, for the same cause.”

Fair trade is a movement that empowers farmers to organize and earn a livelihood within the highly competitive global marketplace. Started by the World Fair Trade Organization, World Fair Trade Day began in 2001 to showcase the small-scale producers and farmers at the heart of the global fair trade movement and the contributions they make to healthy, sustainable communities around the world. World Fair Trade Day is now celebrated by millions of people across every continent (except Antarctica), and is led by the World Fair Trade Organization and other fair trade movement partners. For the last seven years, Dr. Bronner’s has partnered with the organization Fair World Project to organize successful campaigns in retail stores in the United States to connect dedicated fair trade brands with consumers. Participating brands in Fair World Project’s program reported sales growth of nearly 200 percent each year, demonstrating the increasing consumer demand for ethical products and fair trade brands.

“In seeking practical solutions to the problems humanity is facing, people are waking up to how our buying power plays a significant role in the big picture,” says Dana Geffner, Executive Director of Fair World Project. “Consumers are demanding more from the companies they purchase from and Dr. Bronner’s models what it means to be a brand dedicated to a regenerative organic supply chain, with fair trade and solving the climate crisis central to this ethic. Celebrating World Fair Trade Day together encourages the market to see the direction consumers are headed, while highlighting and supporting companies who are truly committed to using their own economic power towards a better world for all.”

World Fair Trade Day retail campaigns have helped to distinguish brands in the U.S. like Dr. Bronner’s from brands who use fair trade ingredients in some products but do not have a dedicated fair trade supply chain. In an era where major corporations are taking stances on global politics and social issues, fair trade is a business model where action to support small-scale farmer movements and fair supply chains results in rewarding returns and job creation. To learn more about how Dr. Bronner’s is celebrating World Fair Trade Day this year, watch their new campaign video here: https://youtu.be/SukbPJNm6zk

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Dr. Bronner’s is a family business committed to honouring the vision of founder Emanuel Bronner by making socially and environmentally responsible products of the highest quality, and by dedicating profits to help make a better world. The company’s commitment to progressive business practices is part of the company’s mission to put into practice the principles that inform the philosophy printed on the company’s iconic soap labels written by founder Emanuel Bronner. Bronner was a third generation soap maker who spent his life renouncing hate and war on a personal mission to unite mankind. His strong views and lectures landed him in a mental asylum in Chicago, but eight months later in 1948, Bronner escaped and continued with his message in California. During this time, he also began making peppermint liquid soap under the “Dr. Bronner’s” brand. He gave the soap away during his talks but soon realised people were taking it without listening to him speak. As a result, he started writing his philosophy on the bottle in tiny script, which is still used on Dr. Bronner’s packaging today. The company has grown to become the top-selling natural soap maker in North America and a major brand worldwide. Based on 2017 sales, a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s soap was sold, on average, every 2.2 seconds throughout the year. 

For more information on Dr. Bronner’s, go to: https://www.drbronner.co.uk/

Healthy Sales Group has been helping companies develop successful brands for the past ten years in the natural food environment. Working with many of the key brands in the sector, Healthy Sales Group has seen its activities develop significantly, not only in the health food trade, but also into mainstream grocery, where it has established links with all the major multiple retailers.

For more information on Dr. Bronner’s distribution partner, go to: https://www.healthysales.co.uk