Shop Smart: Decoding Ethical Label Claims

Shop Smart:

THE CLAIMS ON A LABEL D ecoding

Be wary of meaningless claims

Are the certifications legitimate, third-party verifications?

See our Reference Guide to fair trade and fair labor labels .

The market for ethically sourced, organically grown foods has expanded and so too have the number of companies trying to get in on the hype. There is plenty of short, catchy advice on ensuring your shopping cart contents match your values from “look for the label” to “vote with your fork.” However, there’s a big difference between a company that is committed to fair trade and ethical principles in all their supply chains, and one that is just making a few feel-good claims in their marketing materials while continuing to exploit workers and farmers. So while there is no “one-size-fits-all” prescription for choosing right, there are a few questions you can ask in the aisle to cut through the greenwashing and ensure your purchase makes an impact.

What percentage of ingredients are fair trade?

Who makes the product?

What else do you know about the company?

Take into consideration the whole company and what you know about their impact on your own community, the environment and labor rights globally.