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information for the concerned consumer
Consumer
DFID, the Department for International Development, has produced an online presentation to help consumers make ethical choices.
The ethical consumption movement is growing as more and more people want to spend their money in ways that aren’t harmful to people or the environment. In response, the market is developing new standards and new forms of labelling. Make wealth history has put together a short guide to some common labels and their meanings.
In October 2008, the first drop in UK food sales for 20 years was reported. The Office for National Statistics said sales volume for food stores dropped 0.1% in the three months to September, compared with the same period a year ago. In the past, food sales have steadily risen regardless of the economic climate. Sales have fallen as British shoppers cut back on spending due to the financial crisis slowing income growth and increasing unemployment.
The latest issue of the Food Ethics Council (FEC) magazine explored the issues surrounding the ethics of fish and fisheries, with contributions from a number of experts in the field. It examines the problems of the fishing industry, such as overfishing, illegal ‘pirate’ fishing and environmental impacts and discusses solutions which aim to tackle them, from aquaculture to the sustainable seafood movement.
Considering the vast effect it will have on UK fishing communities and marine eco-systems, the FEC calls for The Marine and Coastal Access Bill (which is expected to become law in the summer) to be bold in ambition and scope.
The FEC also urges consumers to make a difference and influence the industry by only buying sustainably sourced fish.
Professor Tim Lang, inventor of the phrase 'food miles' has expressed concern about the prevailing thinking on consumer choice. He asks why the consumer is being left to agonise about complex ethical issues, often without adequate information to inform their decisions. Instead he calls for 'choice-editing' by major retailers, asking them to take more responsibility, and make most of these decisions before products hit the shelves.
"The food-miles debate is just a weather vane in my view about whether we are shifting our food culture in Britain from 'value for money' towards 'values for money', or whether we continue with the frankly absurd rhetoric about consumer choice and consumer sovereignty when the reality is that research shows consumers broadly trust the retailers." he recently stated in the Guardian.
Professor Lang cautions that for retailers to start making these decisions there now needs to be more involvement and regulation by the government. He emphasises that individuals cannot control retailers like Tesco, and those in power must ensure that the we can trust the choices already being made on our behalf.
Fairtrade Increasing its Presence
The Fairtrade market is increasing its presence in countries such as the UK, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia and the US. In 2004, sales of Fairtrade products grew over 49% on the previous year.
There are concerns that the organic food movement has been hijacked by supermarkets intent on being seen to be green but which are in reality, misleading the consumer. Environmental damage and the real impacts of food miles and sourcing abroad are not being honestly addressed. Consumers must now discover that where food is sourced and how it has arrived on the supermarket shelf, can be just as important, environmentally speaking, as how it was produced in the first place.
Ethical Shopping: the producers' perspective
Ethical Shopping: the producers’ perspective
4 December 2008
Following on from the successful Ethical Shopping at the Crossroads conference in 2007, Ethical shopping: the producers' perspective examined the extent to which consumers‟ concerns over the ethical production of their food has impacted on commercial practices. It took place on 4 December, 2008 at the British Library Conference Centre and addressed the following questions through six conference threads.
- At a time of rapidly rising prices and concerns over food security, has the ethical consumer movement made its voice heard down the supply chain?
- Are food producers, in the UK and abroad, heeding calls for more sustainable production?
- How can social and economic justice for small-scale farmers be achieved?
- How can we make their voice more effective in the future? How are communities on the ground taking action to respond to the desire for sustainable food?
The conference was supported by:
Green KFC-Taco Bell cuts water and energy
Yum! Brands Inc, the world's largest restaurant company has opened an environmentally friendly KFC-Taco Bell in Massachusetts. Highlights of the restaurant design include reducing its carbon footprint, water conservation and recycled and sustainably sourced building material. The restaurant is the company's first effort to pursue certification under the United States Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) programme. The company has been frequently criticised in the past for its restaurants' negative environmental impact.
Research by the market analysts Mintel has found a huge growth in British shoppers' interest in ethical food. For example, 70 new ethical food products launched in UK alone in 2006, up from 25 in 2002. An ongoing challenge is consolidating the commitments of consumers, businesses, government, manufacturers, and supermarkets in Fair Trade; to bring about sustainable change for producers in the developing world.
