Throw Down the Gauntlet!

Hey folks! Here is an article from the folks at GreenBiz discussing responsibility in the food industry. There are a few people quoted in the article who are advocating for purveyors of our nation's food to take the lead in sustainability.

"We need to begin to think of retailers as leaders in sustainability; they help consumers live more sustainable lifestyles and build sustainable consumption into their lives," explained Michele Halsell, the managing director of the University of Arkansas' Applied Sustainability Center. "They are the link between the suppliers and the consumers, [and] taking that approach to your role in the world is the start of an important transformation."

And when retailers do it right, it's a "win-win-win," according to Halsell: the environment, local communities and most of all retailers themselves all benefit from green initiatives.

"You the retailers have bought all the environmental impacts [of the products you sell] at every step along the way," (Jonathan) Kaplan said. "That's a responsibility, but also an opportunity: you can have the biggest bang for the buck and you're in the driver's seat."

Clearly, the point of sale opportunities to educate (if that is what retailers are willing to do properly, honestly & transparently!!) are innumerable and ever-present. We at Visionary Values welcome this potential for every retailer to become a sustainability advocate!

We also must STRONGLY ADVOCATE for increased and consistent consumer involvement and oversight of this process. Initially it would most likely stem from an inherent distrust of these retailers to tell the whole story and keep it truthful. As the process matures however, it could develop into more of a friend looking after friend type of interaction (pie in the sky?!?) where we all look after one another's best common interests. After all, isn't this an essential piece of sustainability?!

As always, we love to hear YOUR opinions! Keep in touch!

A Growing Green Gap?!?

Take a look at this article for a good review of the pitfalls of the proliferation of green labels. We sometimes like to believe we live in the land of plenty and that more choice is better. We have supermarket shelves loaded with 20 different granolas and 30+ different flake cereals and then the yogurt shelves with dozens of brands of the "best" available. Conscious consumers are then faced with the daunting task of weeding through the company labeling as well the the third party certification labeling that each package displays. What to do?!?!?

The article does present the argument that eco-labels may be reaching the saturation point (or going beyond) and are actually serving to dilute truth in advertising as more folks clamor for green products. For example, from the article:

Scot Case, executive director of EcoLogo program and vice president of environmental marketing agency TerraChoice, says the hundreds of eco-labels currently available are wreaking havoc by breeding consumer confusion.

Additionally:

A project of Vancouver, B.C.–based startup Big Room Inc., ecolabelling.org was launched in 2008 to respond to a swarm of labels making their way into the marketplace. “We saw that there was a huge move to ‘green’ business and ‘green’ purchasing,” Bowden says. “A lot of claims started being made. … We saw a gap emerging between perceived and actual ‘green.’”

Clearly, there is a great deal of competition to see which label(s) win out. We believe that YOU, the consumer should play the pivotal role in determining which labels remain and which get tossed into the recycle bin. Demand transparency and due diligence in your trusted labelers and support only those which prove they are green through and through!!

Tell us what you would expect to see from an eco-labeler to ensure they are trustworthy!

Eco-Labels - Legitimate or Greenwashing?

The debate over these labels and the legitimacy of their use and claims will continue. What can consumers do to verify adherence to sustainable business practices?

Check out ecolabelling.org for an terrific overview of the vastness of the world of verification!

Their focus is:

1. To gather all ecolabels in the world onto one common platform,

2. To provide standard data and analysis on those ecolabels,

3. To help companies buy and sell ecolabelled products and services.

And here is a businessinsider.com perspective on the proliferation of these labels.

Thoughts? Proposals? Criticisms? Support?

Back In Action!

We have been away from this blogging for a bit now. Sometimes one just needs to step back from technology for a breather!

Here is a link to a blog from some of the Visionary Values family members who recently returned from a wonderfully informative trip to Sumatra. Enjoy!!!