Aveda's Holiday Program "Gifts of Hope"
The Partnership
Aveda chose to work with Hope For Women to supply a handcrafted Fair Trade, eco-friendly accessory to be incorporated into their global Holiday gift set program.
"Environmental leadership and responsibility are deeply rooted in Aveda’s DNA and have been upheld for 30 years. It goes beyond Fair Trade — paying an equitable and sustainable price for ingredients. We believe in benefit sharing, a holistic view of hair, body and mind, and naturally co-existing with your environment and community.
We want to make permanent and positive differences for people’s quality of life through the way we do business, and Hope For Women is the company we’ve partnered with to accomplish this. The tagua hair band we’re featuring in this season’s Aveda holiday gift set represents the single largest Fair Trade purchase of a sustainably harvested rainforest product in Colombian history . That’s remarkable by any standard. It speaks volumes for Hope For Women, and why they are such a valued partner."
-Chris Werle, Vice President of Global Communications, AVEDA
- Tagua being transported out of the Colombian rainforest
The Program
- Almost 400,000 Aveda "Gift of Hope" sets were distributed to nearly 7,000 Aveda Salons and Spas, Aveda Stores, Aveda Institutes and Academies in 24 countries.
- Each Aveda "Gift of Hope" set" includes a handmade, Fair Trade tagua nut accessory produced by Hope For Women and Sapia, our partners in Colombia.
- Basket of collected tagua
- Rainforest near Altaquere, Narino Department, Colombia
- Children of tagua collectors
The Impact
- For this program, Aveda made the single largest Fair Trade purchase of a sustainably harvested rainforest product in Colombian history (Source: ProExport Colombia, Government of Colombia).
- 400 acres of native rainforest sustainably utilized- the collection of the tagua on more than 400 acres provides vaulable income to local poplulations and is a stong incentive to maintain rainforest habitat instead of converting it to other uses.
- 400 families helped- Many people in Colombia were involved with this program, ranging from Awa Indians and Afro-Colombians in the coastal Pacific rainforests who collect the tagua, to processors in Bogota who dry, cut and polish the tagua, and local artisans who handcraft the tagua accessory finished product. Working on this project is providing vital income to at-risk populations that helps provide stability and opportunity in their lives.
