Beauty giant Avon criticised for links to Russia

Beauty giant Avon is facing criticism for maintaining business ties with Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Despite an earlier announcement about halting investments and suspending exports from Russia, Avon continues to recruit sales agents and operate a substantial production plant in the Moscow region, reported the BBC.

Avon's parent company, Natura & Co, justifies the local operations by claiming to provide crucial support to sales agents in Russia. Critics argue that the company should sever ties with Russia completely, condemning its decision to continue some operations while expressing concern for those affected by the conflict.

In 2004, UK-operated Avon founded its Naro-Fominsk plant close to Moscow, where it manufactures more than 220 types of cosmetics and perfumes. Avon told the BBC that the Naro-Fominsk facility is currently dedicated exclusively to serving the Russian market.

The controversy puts Avon in a challenging position as it faces accusations of moral inconsistency and scrutiny from both investors and the public.

Since the invasion of Ukraine began, the Yale School of Management have been tracking the responses of well over 1,500 companies operational in Russia. To date, over 1,000 companies have publicly announced they have voluntarily curtailed operations in Russia to some degree beyond the bare minimum legally required by international sanctions — but some businesses have continued to operate in Russia undeterred.