- Is 'ethical consumerism' a marketing scam?
- How can we do most good with the least money?
As I sit in the coffee shop above I am confronted with posters claiming I as saving the world as I do so!
It is comforting to know that the world is so easily saved. Can my messiah complex can be satisfied with so little sacrifice?
Different companies have different approaches. Prett seems more practical that most. There are a number of schemes that subcontract ethics to industry bodies such as Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, or world land trust. Generally these schemes mean less than you think and are actually marketing gimmicks. Prett offer organic coffee which benefits farmers by not poisoning them with pesticides which seems a more direct means of helping them than membership of an international marketing boondoggle. Prett also help the homeless here in the UK.
The lesson here is to know your own brand of 'ethical' because your idea of good conduct may not be mine. Simply buying from the first person calling themselves 'ethical' simply will not do. There is an entire industry designed to appear ethical at minimal cost. Occasionally some real good is done but we must understand how the game is played.
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