Fighting and Preventing Human Trafficking
doTERRA, the world leader in essential oils, released two reports in January for Human Trafficking Prevention Month highlighting its global efforts in the fight against human slavery. Globally, the International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that there are 24.9 million people trapped in forced labor, including 14.2 million in industries such as agriculture, construction, domestic work and manufacturing.
“doTERRA abhors any and all human trafficking throughout the world and is committed to eradicating it through daily business operations, practices, and philanthropic initiatives,” said Corey Lindley, doTERRA founding executive, president and chief financial officer. “From the very beginning, we recognized a number of problems in the essential oil supply chain, including the risks for labor trafficking, and have taken measures to actively prevent and fight human trafficking. Today, we are pleased to report that all layers in the doTERRA business model are designed to support and expand human rights.”
Since its founding in 2008, doTERRA has sourced, tested, manufactured, and distributed CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® essential oils through Co-Impact Sourcing, a sustainable sourcing program designed to responsibly support thousands of jobs around the world. In addition to its unique business model, doTERRA partners with organizations actively engaged in human trafficking prevention, rescue, and aftercare healing through the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation (dHHF). Since 2016, dHHF has donated over $3.5 million to anti-trafficking partnerships and projects. Recent projects have included:
- doTERRA Hope Blend oil in Peru – In 2018, doTERRA created Hope Touch bottles for distribution in Peru. Designed with a discreet peel-back label, these bottles of a unique essential oil blend are used as a vehicle to get rescue hot-line numbers into the hands of at-risk children.
- Digital Forensic Lab – A donation from the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation in 2018 assisted Operation Underground Railroad in building the first Digital Forensic Lab dedicated solely to fighting child exploitation in South America. The lab provides trainings in online investigations and digital forensic evidence. In 2018 alone, the lab facilitated the arrest of 36 traffickers and helped rescue 16 victims of sexual exploitation.
- Mobile Crime Lab – When evidence is uncovered at a crime scene, it is often sent to a lab for processing. Analyzing this data can take months, during which time the perpetrators remain free. In 2017, the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation, in partnership with Operation Underground Railroad, funded the majority of a mobile crime lab that analyzes evidence on-site, many times resulting in immediate arrests. The lab began operations in Mesa, Arizona in November 2018.
- Haiti Aftercare Campus – Also in 2018, the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation, in partnership with Rapha House, began to build aftercare facilities in Haiti that will house victims rescued from sex trafficking. The campus will include eight housing buildings, a main office, a kitchen and indoor gathering facility, a covered gazebo, a guard hut, and a wall around the campus to ensure the safety and security of the survivors.
To learn more about doTERRA’s sourcing and philanthropic initiatives designed to support global anti-trafficking efforts, visit Source to You and doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation.
About doTERRA
dōTERRA® International is an integrative health and wellness company and the world leader in the Global Aromatherapy and Essential Oils market. dōTERRA sources, tests, manufactures and distributes CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® essential oils and essential oil products to over five million dōTERRA Wellness Advocates and customers. Through responsible sourcing practices, dōTERRA maintains the highest levels of quality, purity and sustainability in partnership with local growers around the world through Cō-Impact Sourcing®. The dōTERRA Healing Hands Foundation®, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, offers resources and tools to global sourcing communities and charitable organizations for self-reliance, healthcare, education, sanitation, and the fight against human trafficking. Through the life-enhancing benefits of essential oils, dōTERRA is changing the world one drop, one person, one community at a time. To learn more, visit www.doterra.com.