Luxury perfumes linked to child labour, BBC finds | BBC News

Summary

This investigation exposes the dark side of Egypt's jasmine industry, revealing the exploitation of child labor in the perfume supply chain. Children as young as five work in dangerous conditions, picking jasmine flowers for mere dollars a day. Despite the huge profits made by global fragrance giants, the workers, especially children, receive a fraction of the value their labor produces. The documentary sheds light on the human rights violations in the perfume industry, where promises of ethical practices are often broken, and calls for greater transparency and accountability from global fragrance houses.

Takeaways

• 😀 Child labor is rampant in Egypt's jasmine fields, where children as young as five work in dangerous conditions for minimal pay.
• 😀 The jasmine flowers harvested in Egypt are sold to fragrance factories, which extract the oil to be used in luxury perfumes sold worldwide.
• 😀 Workers in the jasmine fields earn as little as a dollar per day, despite the high profit margins of the perfume industry.
• 😀 Large fragrance companies fail to meet their human rights commitments, continuing to source jasmine oil from suppliers that exploit children.
• 😀 The global demand for jasmine oil drives a booming perfume industry, with over 3,000 new fragrances launched in 2022 alone.
• 😀 The children working in the jasmine fields suffer from health issues like skin allergies and respiratory problems due to exposure to chemicals and harsh working conditions.
• 😀 The price disparity between the luxury perfumes consumers buy and the wages earned by the laborers who produce the ingredients is stark and unjust.
• 😀 The perfume supply chain extends far beyond Egypt, involving international fragrance houses that profit from low-cost raw materials harvested by vulnerable workers.
• 😀 Companies in the perfume industry sign ethical sourcing pledges but do little to enforce safe working conditions or eliminate child labor in their supply chains.
• 😀 The issue of child labor in the jasmine fields calls for increased consumer awareness and accountability, urging buyers to consider the human cost of their luxury purchases.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the investigation described in the transcript?

The investigation focuses on the exploitation of child labor in the Egyptian jasmine industry, particularly in the harvesting process, and how the perfume industry profits from this labor while the workers, including children, are paid very little.

How are children involved in the jasmine harvest?

Children, some as young as five, are involved in picking jasmine flowers at night under dangerous conditions. They work long hours in dark fields and earn as little as one dollar a day.

What is the financial situation of the families involved in jasmine picking?

The families are struggling financially, with pickers earning very little (around 30 to 35 Egyptian pounds per day). Many parents cannot afford basic necessities like food, and some cannot even afford to feed their children meat or fish.

What are the health consequences for the workers, particularly children, in this industry?

Children working in the fields suffer from health issues such as severe allergies, skin conditions, and eye problems due to prolonged exposure to the jasmine flowers and the harsh working conditions.

What role do international perfume companies play in the jasmine supply chain?

International fragrance houses purchase jasmine oil from factories in Egypt. These companies, often owned by large conglomerates, profit from perfumes that include Egyptian jasmine, but the workers in the supply chain receive a small fraction of the revenue generated from these high-end products.

What ethical concerns are raised by the investigation?

The investigation exposes the unethical practices of using child labor, the lack of safety measures for workers, and the exploitation of low-wage workers in developing countries, while the luxury perfume brands profit from the labor of these vulnerable groups.

How does the fragrance industry justify the low wages paid to the workers?

The fragrance industry tends to focus on the cost of production and maximizing profit margins, often neglecting the welfare of the workers who pick the flowers, even as the price of perfumes, which contain jasmine, continues to rise.

What are the working conditions like for jasmine pickers?

The working conditions are harsh and dangerous, with workers, including children, working at night in fields with poor visibility. They are exposed to allergens and physical strain, often with no access to medical care or safety measures.

What action has been taken by the perfume industry regarding human rights?

The perfume industry has made public commitments to improve labor conditions, such as signing letters of commitment to the United Nations regarding supply chain transparency and combating child labor. However, the investigation reveals that these commitments are not being fully implemented in practice.

What is the impact of the perfume industry's practices on local communities in Egypt?

The local communities, especially families relying on the jasmine harvest, are left in poverty and are dependent on the labor of children to survive. The industry’s profits do not translate into improved living conditions for the workers, leaving them in a cycle of poverty and exploitation.