Chileans oppose animal testing for cosmetics

A new research poll by Cadem Consultancy shows that the majority of Chileans are in favour of banning cosmetic animal testing in the country. The market for cosmetic products in Chile is currently experiencing sustainable growth at 8% per year and is valued at $2.8 billion. If Chile completely bans the practice, they will become the first nation in Latin America to do so. 

The research was commissioned by one local and one international NGO: Te Protejo and Humane Society International. Both groups have been involved in the fight against animal cruelty in the country and hope to have the practice banned outright. 

The results of the poll are going to be used by the NGOs to lobby for Chile’s Health Code to be modified to prohibit cosmetic animal testing and cosmetic product sales which have been tested on animals. 

Revealing that 86% of Chileans believe that Chile should join the 37 countries around the world including the EU, Israel, India & New Zealand that have banned the practice, the poll indicates that the majority of citizens overwhelmingly support a shift in policy. 

The groups want to see Chile following the example set by the European Union in 2013, when the single market became the worlds largest to ban animal testing. Humane Society International was a leader in the #BeCrueltyFree campaign across Europe which resulted in the EU putting the ban in place. Since then, the group have been working with regional governments worldwide to achieve the same results.

With their sights set on the United States as well as Canada, Humane Society International are hoping to see some policy shifts in 2018 around the Americas. Companies in the US, a major producer and exporter of cosmetic products have had to adjust their practices if they want to sell to the EU, making a move to ban the practice more practical domestically. 

In principal, with the move looking to be adopted around the region in the near future, companies who engage in animal testing will lose a significant portion of their global market. The group hopes that companies take notice and begin to harmonize their practices in order to continue to grow their businesses internationally. 

One of the largest campaigns in the EU as well as in North America against outlawing the practice is based on trade competitiveness and consumer confidence. There was talk that the move would sink SMEs and limit trans-Atlantic trading. 

Since the successful implementation of the ban, cosmetic companies across Europe have continued to grow in number. There was also a fear that EU consumers would be affected with a lack of product choice. None of these fears have come to fruition, with the industry adapting and the alternative testing market growing exponentially. 

Together, the two NGOs hope that Chile can follow in the EU’s footsteps and act as an example for the rest of Latin America. The campaign name that the groups are running together under is the same as in Europe; #BeCrueltyFree, citing the common connection between animal testing and animal cruelty. 

The results of the poll identify that nearly 70% of people understand that the cosmetic industry engages in testing a product on animals during the manufacturing phase before the product goes to sale. With this in mind, nearly 8 out of 10 people disagree with this activity with only 19% of people who agree. 

“It is heartening to see that the people of Chile share our belief that animal testing for cosmetic products and ingredients is cruel, archaic and should be outlawed,” said Camila Cortínez, NGO Te Protejo General Director. “Our findings should serve as a wake-up call to our government and beauty industry that it’s time for Chile to #BeCrueltyFree.”

Cadem Consultancy began in Mexico in 1997 and has since spread through Latin America. The consulting firm grew out of Administrative Center for Mexican Business Development (CADEM) and currently offers a diverse range of financial and tax consulting as well as education, training and research services.