ETHICAL BUSINESS AND THE CONSUMER

A report from today’s FT (‘Consumers stick with principle over price’) shows clearly how ethically sourced and provenance brands and goods increase their sales (‘up 8.8% in 2010 against a 0.4% rise in consumer spending’). Even in such straitened times for the consumer this shows clearly that consumers do not feel comfortable with any purchase, from food to luxury items, where there is any genuine concern about whether exploitation or intimidation has been an integral part of their production.

In some cases the emphasis is around fair trade, in other cases there is a much more sinister dimension where production has been linked to serious human rights abuse in countries with either, at best, dubious or, worse still, proven reputations for brutality and tyranny.

The DTC has been absolutely right to have clearly identified its own proactive and robust stance on any issues that have damaged the hard fought reputation of the industry since the horror of blood diamonds emerged in the tragedy of Sierra Leone. They are also absolutely right to ensure that the provenance of the Forevermark is beyond question.

It is very clear where ethics are concerned that there is no room for doubt or compromise when the reputation of the industry can so easily be called into question and at a time when political tyrants have never been more under threat across the world. The DTC’s unwavering and consistent position on this is absolutely vital from both an ethical and a business point of view.