Anita Roddick has passed. This woman ended much of the  testing of products on animals and the misery caused (how many products now say "not tested on animals"?). Pioneer of environmental and ethical beauty, she invented Fair Trade - paying an honest price to third world producers - in opposition to the multi-nationals who used their power to drive prices, such as tea into the ground. She started a soap factory in the poorest area in Glasgow (possibly the poorest in Europe) and gave back 25% of the profits for drop in centres, for the elderly, daycare centres, adventure playgrounds. She launched a Stop Violence Against Women campaign.
She came up with the message for Mother's Day: 'God couldn't be everywhere so he created mothers'. She is all about sustainability and suggests the need for what sounds like Mega Planning.
With so much goodwill she built a vast franchise chain in the UK, the USA and many other countries. She sold it to L'Oreal a year ago and used the money to start her foundation. She has high hopes that L'Oreal will continue her tradition. Read her last interview, it's badly transcribed but worth it. She hints at markets for sustainable business. Labels: Mega Planning, Sustainability, Vision |
Anita was certainly an example of what can be done when greed is secondary to helping people improve their lives.