TIG Post

Tag: Unilever

  • Ekaterra has taken over tea production business and not Unilever Nigeria – Unilever Ghana

    Ekaterra has taken over tea production business and not Unilever Nigeria – Unilever Ghana

    Unilever Ghana PLC has addressed reports indicating that its tea production line (Lipton) is being relocated to its Nigerian subsidiary due to unfavourable business conditions in Ghana.

    The company clarified that the pause in tea production is part of a global group strategy to transfer operations to the Nigerian firm, Ekaterra, and not solely due to macro-economic challenges in Ghana.

    Managing Director Chris Wulff-Caesar of Unilever Ghana said “The tea operations leaving Ghana have nothing to do with “Dumsor” or activities in Ghana. It is a global strategy decision. The new company, Ekaterra, has taken over that business and not Unilever Nigeria. The decision started in 2021, it took time for it to take effect.”

    Amid concerns about multinational companies leaving Ghana over economic and profitability issues, Unilever Ghana, a longstanding fast-moving consumer goods company, had also come under scrutiny following the suspension of its Lipton tea production line.

    Mr Chris Wulff-Caesar has explained that this decision is a part of a broader global strategic initiative aimed at optimizing operations and leveraging the strengths of its subsidiaries.

    “Certain decisions are taken at the global level, which sometimes impact us. Sometime around 2019, we had to let go of our oils and spread business to another company upfield who are just next door to us. And this is all part of a global strategy to focus on certain core categories within the organization.

    “The tea story is very similar, this is not a Unilever Ghana decision, let me be very clear. This is a global strategy decision to offload its tea operations to allow it to operate in a way that is more efficient and not as part of the current set-up of the way we operate as Unilever globally.

    During a familiarization tour by Citi Business News at Unilever Ghana’s factory in Tema, it was observed that production of several of the company’s popular brands was in full swing. Management emphasized the importance of streamlining their global supply chain to enhance efficiency across all business units, underscoring the company’s operational stability.

    “Ghana remains a place for investment, there’s still investment going on in our factory. Unilever still sees Ghana as a good investment destination. Unilever is here to stay in Ghana”, the MD added.

    According to Unilever Ghana PLC’s financial statement for the year ending 2023, the company demonstrated robust performance, achieving an impressive 838 percent increase in profit compared to the previous year. The company has continued to show growth, generating over GHS 240 million in revenue for the first quarter of 2024, driven by material cost savings.

  • “Ghana remains a place for investment” – Unilever Ghana

    “Ghana remains a place for investment” – Unilever Ghana

    Unilever Ghana PLC has noted that it continues to see Ghana as an investment destination for businesses.

    Managing Director of Unilever Ghana, Chris Wulff-Caesar, made this known when he addressed reports indicating that its tea production line (Lipton) is being relocated to its Nigerian subsidiary due to unfavourable business conditions in Ghana.

    “Ghana remains a place for investment, there’s still investment going on in our factory. Unilever still sees Ghana as a good investment destination. Unilever is here to stay in Ghana”, the MD added.

    The company clarified that the pause in tea production is part of a global group strategy to transfer operations to the Nigerian firm, Ekaterra, and not solely due to macro-economic challenges in Ghana.

    Chris Wulff-Caesar said, “The tea operations leaving Ghana have nothing to do with “Dumsor” or activities in Ghana. It is a global strategy decision. The new company, Ekaterra, has taken over that business and not Unilever Nigeria. The decision started in 2021, it took time for it to take effect.”

    Amid concerns about multinational companies leaving Ghana over economic and profitability issues, Unilever Ghana, a longstanding fast-moving consumer goods company, had also come under scrutiny following the suspension of its Lipton tea production line.

    Mr Chris Wulff-Caesar has explained that this decision is a part of a broader global strategic initiative aimed at optimizing operations and leveraging the strengths of its subsidiaries.

    “Certain decisions are taken at the global level, which sometimes impact us. Sometime around 2019, we had to let go of our oils and spread business to another company upfield who are just next door to us. And this is all part of a global strategy to focus on certain core categories within the organization.

    “The tea story is very similar, this is not a Unilever Ghana decision, let me be very clear. This is a global strategy decision to offload its tea operations to allow it to operate in a way that is more efficient and not as part of the current set-up of the way we operate as Unilever globally.

    During a familiarization tour by Citi Business News at Unilever Ghana’s factory in Tema, it was observed that production of several of the company’s popular brands was in full swing. Management emphasized the importance of streamlining their global supply chain to enhance efficiency across all business units, underscoring the company’s operational stability.

    According to Unilever Ghana PLC’s financial statement for the year ending 2023, the company demonstrated robust performance, achieving an impressive 838 percent increase in profit compared to the previous year. The company has continued to show growth, generating over GHS 240 million in revenue for the first quarter of 2024, driven by material cost savings.

  • Ghana’s economic crisis has forced Unilever Ghana to move tea production to Nigeria – Ato Forson

    Ghana’s economic crisis has forced Unilever Ghana to move tea production to Nigeria – Ato Forson

    The Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has revealed that Unilever Ghana has decided to relocate its tea production operations to Nigeria due to the ongoing economic challenges in Ghana.

    During his response to President Akufo-Addo’s 2024 State of the Nation address, Dr. Ato Forson expressed concern that other companies might also relocate due to the country’s current economic downturn, emphasizing the need for Ghanaians to be worried about this trend.

    “Again, Mr Speaker, Unilever Ghana, which has for a very long time been producing its famous Lipton tea in Ghana, has stopped its tea production here. Unilever has relocated its tea production to Nigeria.”

    “We have lost jobs by exporting the Lipton tea production to Nigeria. This is bad news for Ghanaian employees!.”

    “Again, Mr Speaker, Unilever Ghana has not been able to commence its Pepsodent production in Ghana after President Akufo-Addo commissioned the plant, five years ago. This is as a result of the worsening business environment.”

    As a former Deputy Finance Minister, Dr. Ato Forson’s remarks highlight the growing apprehension about Ghana’s economic stability and its impact on local businesses.

    Dr. Ato Forson expressed disappointment with the government’s performance and predicted that it would be remembered as the least successful in Ghana’s history.

    “Never in the history of Ghana was a government so hyped up, with massive goodwill and huge fiscal space enough to transform our country as this Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government. Yet, this government and the NPP have gone down as the worst-performing government in the history of Ghana!

    “Mr Speaker, I can say without any doubt that President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia who promised to transform Ghana within 18 months have been a monumental failure. They promised heaven but delivered hell! Mr Speaker, deep down in the hearts of members of the NPP, including my colleagues on the opposite side, they accept that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has been an unmitigated disaster!”

    He criticized the government for the chaos it has caused, highlighting that the nation’s economic situation is vastly different from the positive image portrayed by the President during the SONA.

    “Each time President Akufo-Addo gets the opportunity to tell the people of Ghana about how he and his government got us into this mess, he chooses to bury his head in the sand, like the proverbial ostrich. President Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Bawumia pretend not to see the mess that they have created. They still live in a bubble of denial over the true state of Ghana today.

    “Hon. Speaker, Parliament remains a House of record, and the record must reflect nothing but the true state of our nation. Our reality today stands in sharp contrast with the glossy picture the President depicted to the people of Ghana.”

  • Unilever imports over 150x more than they export -Bright Simons

    Unilever imports over 150x more than they export -Bright Simons

    Vice President of think-thank IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Bright Simons, is concerned about the country’s deficit and the lack of measures from authorities to address the matter.

    Currently, Ghana’s imports exceed its exports, leading to a trade deficit. For Mr Simons, the manufacturing sector is of importance.

    In a post on X, Mr Simons alleged that Unilever, said to be one of Ghana’s most advanced manufacturing companies, is importing almost double of its inputs from affiliates compared to what it exports to these same affiliates.

    “When your most powerful & most advanced manufacturing companies, like Unilever, are importing more than 150x more inputs from affiliates than they export to same (amounting to ~30% of sales at cost), then it is time to do something dramatic about the business climate, Ghana!,” he wrote.

    According to the Bank of Ghana, the country recorded a trade surplus of 112.70 USD million in August 2023.

    The balance of trade in Ghana averaged -101.17 USD Million from 2004 until 2023, reaching an all-time high of 666.99 USD million in March 2022 and a record low of -733.10 USD million in October 2013.

  • Unilever addresses pollution, clears plastic waste on Ghana’s coastline

    Unilever addresses pollution, clears plastic waste on Ghana’s coastline

    Unilever Ghana Plc, a company known for producing and marketing home care, personal care, and food products, has initiated a Plastic Waste Employee Drive aimed at clearing 10,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste from Ghana’s shores.

    In collaboration with the Coastal Conservancy Organization and the Ghana Recycling Initiative by Private Enterprises, this effort aims to address the plastic waste issue.

    The project began at Tema Community Three Beach, where community volunteers and Unilever Ghana staff collaborated to remove over four metric tonnes of plastic waste, including sachets and bottles, on a recent Thursday.

    Mayank Kapoor, the Supply Chain Director at Unilever Ghana, who participated in the cleanup, shared that the company is dedicated to achieving the target of collecting 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable plastics by the year 2025, a goal that is already in progress.

    Kapoor also highlighted that globally, 400 million metric tonnes of plastic are produced annually, with half of that being single-use plastic that ends up polluting oceans and harming marine life.

    He stressed the importance of maintaining clean beaches, as this contributes to a flourishing marine ecosystem and safeguards the natural environment for generations to come.

    Kapoor also urged the media to raise awareness about plastic pollution and prevention, particularly among children who represent the future leaders.

    Justice Lionel Eshun, Chairman of the Coastal Conservancy Organisation, expressed satisfaction with the collaboration with Unilever to tackle plastic waste.

    He noted that this joint effort would result in a cleaner environment and ensure unobstructed water flow in storm drains. Eshun appealed to the public to adopt responsible waste management practices.

  • Bad governance a recipe for coup d’état – Yaw Nsarkoh

    Bad governance a recipe for coup d’état – Yaw Nsarkoh

    Former Executive Vice President of Unilever, Yaw Nsarkoh, has expressed concern that Ghana’s Fourth Republic could face the threat of a coup d’état if the nation does not address the fissures emerging due to poor governance.

    During an appearance on PM Express on JoyNews, Nsarkoh emphasized that the persistence of inadequate governance can lead to an environment where populist forces gain traction and seize control, acting in their own interests.

    While some may believe that Ghana is immune to such political upheavals due to its history, Nsarkoh argued that the underlying issues that previously led to military interventions in the country are resurfacing within the context of the Fourth Republic.

    “So when the people of Ghana say, ‘no, we are not like that, as for us, it will always be okay’, It’s just a collective amnesia of things that have gone wrong in this society before. And let us remember that I was alive at that time. 

    “In 1979, I was 11. So I still remember these things that happened and we saw them. There are causative factors that created these disruptions. We have been through the First Republic, which the soldiers kicked out, a Second Republic, which again, the soldiers kicked out and a Third Republic, which the soldiers kicked out,” he stated.

    Mr. Nsarkoh voiced his disapproval of coups, asserting that it is not within the mandate of the armed forces to govern a nation.

    However, he emphasized that in order to safeguard the Fourth Republic from experiencing the same challenges as its predecessors, it is imperative to engage in discussions aimed at addressing the underlying issues that could potentially lead to its downfall.

    “We must remember James Baldwin famously said ‘The most dangerous creation of any society is the man with nothing to lose’. And we in our society today have many who have nothing to lose. So, if we think that we can leave so many people out of the fruits of development and national building and somehow keep it stable, we deceive ourselves.”

    “We are beginning to see the features of some of the things that went wrong (in earlier republics) and we must start to have the conversation now. We don’t want to go back to those days. If the Fourth Republic will endure and become the last, then we need to change some of the things that we did in the past that created those sorts of disruptions.”

    Mr Nsarkoh noted that Ghana has a chance to make things right and learn from the mistakes of the past.

    He stated that “I know that if you allow misgovernance, you create spaces for a populist. It is not necessarily even a military populist. You create spaces for a populist to emerge. So we must be as concerned about good governance as we are about condemning military coups and so on and so forth.”

  • Unilever profits rise to 20% after increasing its products

    Unilever profits rise to 20% after increasing its products

    Consumer goods giant Unilever, known for producing brands like Magnum and Marmite, reported a 21% increase in pre-tax profit, amounting to €5.2 billion (£4.4 billion) over a six-month period.

    This growth was primarily driven by raising prices on its products, despite experiencing a decline in the number of goods sold.


    Supermarkets, including Tesco, have criticized suppliers for raising prices during a period of high inflation, a trend known as “greedflation.”

    However, Unilever’s Chief Executive, Hein Schumacher, stated that the company did not pass on higher costs to its customers. He believed that inflation would moderate by the end of the year, leading to more balanced pricing.

    “We do see inflation moderating by the end of the year and that will lead to more moderated pricing our end.”

    “We’ve seen high volatility because of drought in Europe and rice shortages in India, as well as geopolitical issues so we’ve had a lot to contend with,” he said, referring to the costs the company has to pay for raw materials.

    Supermarkets – who themselves have been accused of so-called “greedflation” – have accused suppliers of hiking prices.


    Unilever faced challenges such as drought in Europe and rice shortages in India, which impacted the costs of raw materials. Nonetheless, the company managed to achieve a profit margin of 17.1% during the first half of the year.


    The investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority into grocers’ pricing found no evidence of profiteering by supermarkets, but they are now looking into the wider supply chain.


    Despite a 2.5% decline in the volume of goods sold, Unilever’s total turnover rose by 2.7% to €30.4 billion.

    In various divisions like home care and food, the company experienced a rise in sales, albeit with different patterns in volume and price changes.


    Unilever’s finance chief, Graeme Pitkethly, stated that they are now focusing on volume growth and believe they are past the peak of inflation.

    Similarly, Premier Foods, the makers of Mr. Kipling cakes and Oxo stock cubes, reported a 21% increase in sales, expressing confidence that recent input cost inflation has passed its peak and they will not raise prices for the rest of the year.

  • Unilever to halt producing Omo, Vaseline, other products

    Unilever to halt producing Omo, Vaseline, other products

    One of the largest manufacturers of consumer goods, Unilever Nigeria Plc, has said that it will stop producing some of its well-known brands, including Omo and Lux.

    The manufacturer says it will leave the Home Care and Skin Cleansing categories, which will have an impact on the aforementioned brands.

    Sunlight, Dove Beauty Bar, Lux soap, Pepsodent toothpaste, vaseline, Lifebuoy, and Rexona products are just a few of the numerous names that may be impacted.

    In a statement sent to the capital market, Unilever informed shareholders that: “The Company will make changes to its business model in order to accelerate growth and sustain profitability while enhancing its ability to meet consumer needs.”

    “The 100-year-old consumer goods company will repurpose its portfolio while putting in place measures to make the business more efficient and future fit.”

    These changes will reposition the Company to better meet the needs of consumers, shareholders, and employees.

    This will involve: Repurposing the portfolio by exiting the Home Care and Skin Cleansing categories to concentrate on higher growth opportunities. Unilever also noted that the new model would reduce exposure to devaluation and currency liquidity, Punch reports.

    It also believed offloading its home care and skin cleansing portfolios would enable the management to “concentrate on higher growth opportunities.”

    The statement continues: “Strengthening business operations with measures to digitize and simplify processes; and Focusing more on business continuity measures that reduce exposure to devaluation and currency liquidity in our business model.

    “The exit of these two categories over 2023 will boost the vision to make Unilever Nigeria great, building on the impressive progress made in other key aspects of the business, and is envisaged to result in overall improvement in profitability, growth and a more sustainable Unilever Nigeria plc. Business.”

  • Unilever Ghana committed to raising future leaders – WA MD

    General Manager for Unilever, West Africa, Carl Cruz has reiterated the need to develop the youth who are expected to play critical role in the future of every country.

    He said youth development remains a priority area  particularly for the company which uses its resources in helping shape young minds as it is linked to the very existence of the company.

    Carl Cruz was speaking to Joy Business in Tema at Unileader session dubbed “Journey to the boardroom” with some Unilever student ambassadors from selected tertiary institutions.

    Unilever Ghana committed to raising future leaders - WA MD

    “This session forms part of our plans to groom the youth for the future by spending our time, effort and resources to do our part. It is important because this group would play a significant role in future of the industry here in Ghana,” he said.

    The session which centered on leadership allowed participants and virtual audience ask questions relating to leadership, career, academic background, family, challenges, West African market among other areas.

    With three decades of working experience, Carl advised the students to take advantage of the unprecedented interconnectivity and be able to adapt to changes as the world transitions.

    “You should always keep learning regardless of the experience you have. To be able to do this, I must unlearn what I know to be able equip myself with the competencies, capabilities that is required of me,” he added.

    Having risen to the boardroom through various functions in the company, he noted that successes over the years have certainly not been without challenges and failures.

    The company is looking forward to succeeding in West Africa as done in India, Philippines and other markets.

    “One of our goals is to discover our greatness in West Africa, specifically in Ghana, expand our portfolio and increase our positive impact to consumers here”

    “And of course in the communities we operate in such as the plantation in the Central region, much more investment to come and bringing capabilities that are required to make bigger impact in the life of the Ghanaian consumer,” he continued.

    Unilever Ghana committed to raising future leaders - WA MD

    Asked what could take West African market to compete with India, Carl Cruz responded that the market’s population of over 400 million inhabitants provides an opportunity if factors impacting business such as foreign exchange, depreciation and improving supply lines are dealt with.

    One other important question that came up during the session was how the company was responding to inflation across the globe.

    To this, Carl Cruz indicated Africa strategy from 2020 was volume led but in 2021 inflation kicked in and for 2022, the strategy shifted from being volume led to price led which is a temporary shift in focus to protect their viability.

    Human Resources Director for Unilever Ghana, Michael Otchere Duah  was excited at the outcome of the session.

    “We see a different trend anytime we organize this programme looking at the quality of questions the students asked.  Such sessions expose the students to various issues which help build their confidence in the end”

    “Such sessions help spot talents and bright minds which we are able to track their development in school and through that they fit into our recruitment funnel into the future”, he explained.

    Mechanical Engineering student and brand ambassador for Unilever Ghana at Ashesi University, Ernestine Sogah shared what she took away from the engagement.

    “ There is the need to always embrace change as the world is evolving. Do not let your past glory interfere with your future goals”

    She encouraged others to look out for future opportunities having being an intern in the past.

    Unilever Ghana committed to raising future leaders - WA MD

    For Public Relations student at Ghana Institute of Journalism and brand ambassador for Unilever Ghana, Vincent Amedzake, the programme helped put his mind at ease considering Carl Cruz’s experience in the corporate world.

    “The challenges he faced helped him become better version of himself and this will go a long to help me after school. One must also be ready to learn and unlearn when it becomes necessary. He also taught us how to listen to others”

    Meanwhile, Human Resource Business Partner, Functions for West Africa, Paul Agbai advised the students to take advantage of the opportunities presented them including Unileader sessions, Idea Trophy among others aimed at equipping them for the future.

    Source: MyJoyOnline

  • Connecting Palms In Africa: Blockchain for the supply chain

    In its purest form, Palm oil has a deep red color and a rich fragrance.

    When it was first discovered by Ca’da Mosto, a 15th-century explorer, he documented that it has “the scent of violets, the taste of olive oil and a color which tinges food like saffron”.

    Palm oil has been consumed as both food and medicine for thousands of years in West and Central Africa. While it remains a beloved, traditional part of African cuisine, it is a product that has become industrialized globally – bleached, refined, deodorized and relabeled to the point that it is now a hidden, food-like substance.

    Today, palm oil can be found in everything from ultra-processed foods to cosmetics and household cleaning products. It’s an indispensable ingredient, one linked to controversy ranging from slave labor to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Can the blockchain help?

    “Technology is a significant enabler of traceability and transparency, especially when it comes to knowing exactly where our raw material is coming from, even when it passes through many different hands on its way to us,” says Andrew Wilcox, the senior manager for sustainable sourcing and digital programmes at Unilever. “Getting full traceability and transparency in our supply chain is a crucial part of this journey.”

    According to Wilcox, current processes that track commodities – such as palm oil – through the supply chain require a lot of time and effort to perform, and often leave out valuable information around sustainability claims. “There are currently no viable methods for preserving origin data at the scale of the commodity supply chain.

    This means that by the time the commodities are manufactured into products for consumers, products are simply marked as being sustainable or non-sustainable. This results in consumers rightfully questioning some of these claims.”

    And that is where GreenToken comes in, a ‘chain-of- custody’ blockchain developed by SAP to help companies keep track of their bulk commodity supply chain sourcing, especially for raw materials like palm oil which is known for being especially difficult to trace.

    “The supply chain is long and complex and until recently, has not had the benefit of a joined up digital transformation in recording palm [oil] movements from end-to-end,” says James Veale, GreenToken’s co-founder. GreenToken is one of the first initiatives to address that and make it into a repeatable standard.

    “Ninety percent of the world’s raw materials are traded on a bulk basis. This means they are mixed with other identical raw materials at some point in the supply chain, causing most of the information to get hidden or lost,” adds Wilcox.

    “With GreenToken, tokens are created by commodity buyers (mills in the case of palm oil) and a range of information related to the crop (origins or sustainability credentials) are captured within the token. As the crop moves to each stage of the supply chain (e.g., a refinery), a request is made of transfer the digital tokens.” The blockchain tokens are therefore a digital twin for the crops, enabling a ‘virtual segregation’ even if the materials have been mixed with materials from a different source.

    “The GreenToken blockchain has the ability to record RSPO certified palm at the grower delivery to the mill level and track that palm throughout the extended supply chain,” explains Veale. “In this way, the sustainable volume is made transparent on the blockchain wherever it may be in the supply chain, giving the end buyer a lot of confidence in their purchase.”

    Certification from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) can take many years to achieve and the proven certified sustainable percentage is relatively small.

    “End users can only claim that their palm oil is certified sustainable if they can trace it back to grower deliveries to an originating crush mill. As the supply chain is long and complex with much commingling and processing, and as off takers do not want to make unsubstantiated claims,” says

    Veale. “Digital systems like blockchain can help carry this proven sustainable certification along the value chain to the off-taker, quicker, cheaper and with full auditability and so accelerate the evidence down the supply chain to the end consumer.”

    Palm oil is the most land-efficient vegetable oil and the main source of livelihoods for millions of farmers and communities from Cameroon to Sierra Leone. There are 10 countries that make up the Africa Palm Oil Initiative with the biggest plantation (to date) sitting in Liberia.

    As Russia’s War on Ukraine rages on and sunflower oil exports drop significantly, food producers are struggling to seek replacements and palm oil is making an unforeseen comeback that could potentially derail sustainability efforts if technology like the GreenToken blockchain doesn’t step in.

    According to one plant-based company in South Africa that originally abstained from using palm oil, the sunflower oil shortage has made them seriously

    Ultimately, the GreenToken blockchain will not only give consumers much-needed assurance that the palm oil they’re using is ethically-grown, it will help recognize the sustainability efforts of growers and smallholder farmers.

    “When we have a system that is potentially able to maintain and verify a tamper-proof record of commodities and their credentials, it gives more confidence that the premiums we pay for sustainable raw materials are impactful and can incentivise the production and purchase of sustainable commodities through about the supply chain,” says Wilcox.“

    We want our consumers to have the confidence when picking up a Unilever product that the product has been made with sustainable palm oil.”

    Source: Forbes

  • Unilever renames Fair & Lovely skin cream after backlash

    Unilever will rename Fair & Lovely, a skin-lightening cream which has been criticised for promoting negative stereotypes around dark skin tones.

    It will also remove references to “whitening” or “lightening” on the products, which are sold across Asia.

    Unilever acknowledged the branding suggests “a singular ideal of beauty”.

    Two separate petitions urging Unilever to stop the production of its Fair & Lovely range have been signed by more than 18,000 people in recent weeks.

    “This product has built upon, perpetuated and benefited from internalised racism and promotes anti-blackness sentiments,” one says.

    A second petition claimed the cream “tells us that there is something wrong with our color, that we have to be light in order to feel beautiful. In order to feel worthy.”

    In a YouTube video advertising the range, cartoon images of women are put side-by-side, claiming that the products can “brighten” the skin.

    “The language around these products upholds the beauty standards that lighter or whiter skin is more desirable,” Nomshado Michelle Baca, the founder of beauty brand A Complexion Company.

    “The individual who formulated and marketed the products is not likely to be a person of colour, resulting in a warped perception that all black women desire lighter skin.”

    But she argues that the conversation has become “hyper-focused on the change of someone’s entire complexion.

    “The woman who wants to treat small areas of scarring is left invisible and without options but to use the damaging products available in unregulated retailers or black hair shops.”

    Banned products

    Unless they are issued on prescription by a doctor, creams containing hydroquinone, steroids or mercury are banned in the UK – because of their potentially serious side-effects.

    Consumers have previously been warned by the Local Government Association to steer clear of those toxic products that can “act like paint stripper”.

    BBC News identified products containing the bleaching agent hydroquinone available to UK customers on online marketplace EBay.

    ‘Fully committed’

    Sunny Jain, President of Beauty & Personal Care at Unilever, said: “We are fully committed to having a global portfolio of skin care brands that is inclusive and cares for all skin tones, celebrating greater diversity of beauty.

    “We recognise that the use of the words ‘fair’, ‘white’ and ‘light’ suggest a singular ideal of beauty that we don’t think is right, and we want to address this.”

    “The brand has never been and is not a bleaching product,” Unilever added.

    The consumer goods giant also said that it had removed before-and-after impressions and “shade guides” on Fair & Lovely packaging in 2019. The skin care range is sold across countries such as India, Indonesia, Thailand and Pakistan.

    Unilever’s move comes as cosmetics firms around the world reassess their product lines and marketing strategies in light of the Black Lives Matters movement, sparked by George Floyd’s death.

    George Floyd died in Minneapolis in May as a white police officer held a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

    The final moments were filmed on phones. Four police officers involved have been sacked and charged over his death.

    ‘Hugely disappointing’

    Writer and activist Poorna Bell said that Unilever’s announcement was “hugely disappointing”.

    “It doesn’t do enough to make reparations for the untold mental and emotional damage done by colourism,” a prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, often among people of the same ethnic group.

    “Renaming the products doesn’t mean anything – that’s still just colourism by another word,” she said.

    She also called for Unilever to match Johnson & Johnson’s recent commitment to stop selling certain products that are advertised as dark-spot reducers in Asia and the Middle East, but have been used by consumers to lighten skin tone.
    Company commitments

    Skin-lightening products are typically aimed at women in the Black and Asian communities, says Dr Steve Garner, a sociologist, who carried out one of the first British studies into skin-lightening.

    Nivea’s parent company Beiersdorf told the BBC that it “stands against racism and discrimination of any kind and supports the Black Lives Matter movement.”

    Nivea’s Natural Fairness line is sold in the Middle East, India as well as Nigeria and Ghana.

    On its Middle East website, the product is described as being able to “prevent the darkening of skin tone”.

    When asked by the BBC if it would amend the description, Nivea said that the product contains SPF-15 “which helps prevent sun-induced skin damage, such as irregular dark pigmentation, for any skin type.”

    It added: “We are currently doing a review in all our products descriptions and are in the process of re-evaluating and updating the description that may cause any misinterpretation.”

    L’Oreal did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment on its Garnier White Complete range.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: Unilever, CalBank postpone Annual General Meetings

    More public firms have postponed their Annual General Meetings (AGMs) because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    While some have suspended the AGMs indefinitely, others have rescheduled them.

    The AGMs usually are meetings that critical business decisions are taken by the shareholders.

    They include approval or rejection of annual financial statements, appointment of new board members, approval or rejection of external auditors.

    Indigenous bank, CalBank said: “Notice is hereby given to all shareholders of CalBank and the investing public that the 2020 Annual General Meeting scheduled for May 6, 2020 at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) has been postponed until further notice.”

    According to the bank, the postponement is pursuant to, and in compliance with the directive on public gatherings issued by the President of the Republic of Ghana on 15 March 2020, as part of measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

    In that regard, the Board of CalBank will continue to review the situation and provide further information in due course.

    It added: “We urge all our shareholders to continue to practice the needed safety protocols as we work together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.”

    Also, Unilever Ghana said: “Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of Unilever Ghana Limited scheduled for Thursday, May 14 2020 has been put on hold until further notice.”

    This decision, it said, is in compliance with the directive on public gatherings issued by the President of the Republic of Ghana and the Ghana Stock Exchange as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic on the 15th and 16th of March 2020, respectively.

    It added that “Management would like to assure all shareholders that once the situation stabilizes and the President of the Republic of Ghana issues a directive to lift the ban on public gatherings, a new date for the AGM would be communicated to all Shareholders.”

    Source: Class FM

  • Unilever promises to halve plastic waste use

    Unilever, which owns brands such as Surf and PG Tips, says it plans to halve the amount of new plastic it uses in a bid to appeal to younger shoppers.

    The firm is responsible for producing 700,000 tonnes of new plastic a year.

    But Unilever, plans to slash that figure over the next five years by using more recycled plastic and finding other alternative materials.

    Nevertheless, Unilever boss, Alan Jope, holds that plastic is a “terrific material”.

    Unilever launches World Oral Health Day with walk

    And he maintains that many of the alternatives are worse, saying: “A hysterical move to glass may be trendy but it would have a dreadful impact on the carbon footprint of packaging.”

    In an interview with the BBC, Mr Jope said Unilever, the UK’s biggest food producer and which also own dozens of health, beauty and cleaning brands, was trying to remain relevant to younger consumers who worry about plastic use.

    He said millennials – normally thought of as those born between 1980 and 1995 – and Generation Z, which is more poorly defined but generally considered to be those born between the mid-1990s and 2010, cared about “purpose and sustainability”.

    They also worry about “the conduct of the companies and the brands that they’re buying”.

    “This is part of responding to society but also remaining relevant for years to come in the market.”

    He said there was “no paradox” between sustainable business and better financial performance.

    “We profoundly believe that sustainability leads to a better financial top and bottom line.”

    Unilever Ghana unveils new manufacturing plants in Tema

    200,000 bottles a minute

    The move follows similar announcements by several other companies.

    Procter & Gamble – which makes Fairy and Lenor – said in April that it planned to halve the amount of plastic it used by 2030.

    Meanwhile, Nestle announced that it would phase out all non-recyclable plastics from its wrappers by 2025 and Coca Cola has said that it will double the amount of recycled plastic it uses in the 200,000 bottles it makes every single minute by next year.

    Now, Unilever has added its name to the list of firms promising to cut back on plastic with a pledge to recycle as much plastic as it makes by 2025.

    But Mr Jope said responsibility for reducing plastic could not fall to industry alone.

    He called on UK councils to harmonise recycling policies so that manufacturers can make instructions clearer to consumers.

    “If there was a standardised approach to collecting, sorting and processing, I think it would allow industry to standardise labelling and make it easier for people to segment their waste,” he said.

    Unilever, which is one of the largest companies in the UK, has insisted that changing its packaging would not push up prices.

    Richard Kirkman, the chief technology officer for waste management giant Veolia, said plants had seen an increase in the amount of packaging that was “really hard” to recycle.

    “Now we need to work with manufacturers to change the way they design things in the first place,” he said.

    Source: www.bbc.com