A BBC investigation has unveiled the troubling use of child labor within the luxury perfume industry, particularly in the jasmine trade in Egypt. Children, some as young as five, are found working under hazardous conditions for minimal pay, a stark contrast to the significant profits reaped by major companies in the sector. This report illuminates the disconnect between the industry’s public human rights commitments and its actual practices, revealing a hidden world of exploitation behind some of the world’s most luxurious scents.
Children, including those as young as five, are employed in dangerous conditions to pick jasmine flowers in Egypt, a key ingredient in luxury perfumes.
These child laborers earn as little as a dollar a day, while the companies involved make substantial profits.
The investigation highlights a significant gap between the perfume industry’s public commitments to human rights and their actual practices.
Jasmine oil, extracted from the flowers picked by children, is sold to international fragrance houses, ending up in products sold globally.
Despite the booming fragrance industry, which launched 3,000 new fragrances in 2022 alone, the workers at the bottom of the supply chain see very little of the profits.
The detrimental health effects on children working in these conditions are highlighted, including cases of severe allergies and other health issues.
Some of the world’s leading perfume brands are implicated in this chain, relying on jasmine oil sourced under these conditions.
The report urges consumers and companies alike to consider the human cost behind luxury perfumes and calls for greater transparency and ethical standards in the industry.
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current state with its current name on New Year’s Day 1927.
The BBC is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom and the world's oldest and largest broadcast news organization. Principally funded by a public television license fee, it operates under a Royal Charter that mandates editorial impartiality and independence from the UK government. BBC News provides comprehensive global news, current affairs, and factual programming across radio, television, and online platforms, maintaining a vast network of foreign correspondents to serve audiences worldwide.
