Jasmine. It's a haunting, beautiful scent that graces many fragrances around the world, showing up in incense, candles, and perfumes. And almost all of it traces back to one small village in Egypt, where
upwards of 60% of the world's jasmine is grown and harvested.
And a significant amount of that jasmine is
picked by extremely young children - some as young as 5 years old, starting as early as 3am on a given day.But that hasn't stopped major international corporations, including Estée Lauder and L'Oréal from using this child labor-fueled jasmine. In fact, those companies have made it so that
child labor is an absolute necessity because they set such low farm wages, families don't have any choice but to include their children in their work.
Then, L'Oréal and Estée Lauder go on to sell those perfumes at high prices, earning them ballooning profits. Sign the petition to hold L'Oréal and Estée Lauder accountable for their use of child labor!It's important to note that both L'Oréal and Estée Lauder
are breaking the law by utilizing crops grown and harvested using child labor. Egyptian law is very clear that it intends to protect children from work exploitation: children can only work in agriculture if they're above 12 years old, if the work is non-hazardous, and within specific time parameters (including not before 7am).
But the jasmine industry is violating all of those requirements.
Children working in the jasmine fields often suffer from injuries and medical conditions, including from exposure to dangerous pesticides. Some of the pesticides and fertilizers used in these fields are so hazardous, they're outright illegal!
Study after study after study has shown that children's vulnerable developing minds can be severely impacted by exhaustion from work and exposure to chemicals. It can cause organ damage, cancer, problems with cognitive and social development, and trouble in school.
Those consequences can haunt a person, following them for the rest of their entire lives.Estée Lauder and L'Oréal are giant international companies. They have enough money and influence to make sure they are not relying on children to help them make their products. These corporations are violating the law and breaking consumers' trust! They must pay agricultural workers a living wage and stop the use of child labor now! Sign the petition!