Ethical Consumption
HELPING CONSUMERS FIND companies that share their environmental, social and political concerns is difficult.
But Co-op America is making the job easier. The 32,000 member organization
has provided socially-conscious consumers with a marketplace responsive
to their needs and their beliefs since 1982. But the group is not trying
to establish a "counterculture" economy. To the contrary, it hopes to bring
America's business establishment into line with its progressive philosophy
by showing that it is profitable. "We are trying to change the way America
does business," says Cindy Mitlo-Shartel, Co-op America marketing coordinator.
"We try to support organizations ... that have some sort of cause beyond
just their bottom line worked into their business. At the same time, we
know that there are hundreds of thousands, hopefully millions of people
who are very socially conscious. And what we're saying is that there is
another way they can work for those values, and that's by the money they
spend every day."
Co-op America offers natural fiber clothes, furniture
and other products through its twice-yearly catalogues, as well as life
insurance and travel services. In addition, the group publishes a quarterly
magazine on socially-responsible investing, "Building Economic Alternatives."
The magazine features profiles of investment funds and socially-conscious
financial institutions, guides to help consumers determine their investment
needs and a section called "Boycott Box," which provides an overview of
new and ongoing corporate responsibility actions. Each summer a special
edition of the magazine includes a directory of the organizational members
of Co-op America, indexed by state, product and service, "so that members
can find what they are looking for," Mitlo-Shartel says. Any organization
seeking to join Co-op America--and gain access to its 32,000 members--must
answer a detailed questionnaire about the structure, goals and products
of the group, Mitlo- Shartel says. Two board members must approve the addition
of the organization. The process helps Co-op America meet its goal of promoting
only low-cost, socially-responsible vendors to its individual members.
There have been mistakes in the past, or at least differences of political
opinion. One catalogue, for example, offered a leather backpack. Inclusion
of leather products infuriated animal rights activists, and the backpack
was removed from future catalogues. Another time several people complained
that wood products in the catalogue were made from rainforest trees. An
investigation convinced Co-op America that the products were free of wood
from the endangered rainforests. The point, says Mitlo-Shartel, is that
Co-op America will always research a consumer complaint, and real action
is taken when a problem is confirmed.
The group also serves as a network
for other progressive organizations, sharing information among its members
on services and products. Magazine subscriptions are available through
the Co-op America catalogues, as are books and even other catalogues.
-Louis Nemeth
Shopping for Better World
MERGER MANIA HAS gripped the food industry like
no other. It might be simple to look at the label on a box of Grape Nuts
to determine if the cereal is wholesome and natural, but, with food manufacturers
being swallowed like so many frozen dinners, how can consumers find out
if the company behind the package is as pristine?
A new guide from the Council on Economic Priorities (CEP) may help. "Shopping for a Better World"
rates 138 companies and some 1,300 brand name products commonly found in
supermarkets, health food stores and gas stations on 10 social criteria,
all in a pocket-sized booklet. The ratings in the guide are based on information
compiled from a 26-page questionnaire mailed to the companies included
in the booklet, existing public information and a team of advisors. "While
all of us have personal values that influence our shopping decisions, the
guide helps us by presenting some clear choices," says CEP Executive Director
Alice Tepper Marlin. For some products, she notes, consumers automatically
take into account such things as price, quality and nutritional content.
But for many products, a strong preference may not exist, in which case
the information in the guide "will help consumers become more responsible
shoppers."
Scoring high in the 128-page booklet are Quaker Oats cereal,
Kodak film, Campbell's Soup and Cheer. Notable for low ratings are Miles
Laboratories (Alka-Seltzer and SOS steel wool); Unilever (Aim Toothpaste,
Ragu spaghetti sauce, Q-Tips) and American Cyanamid (Old Spice and Pine-Sol).
The criteria included in the guide are: charitable giving; women's advancement;
minority advancement; defense contracts; animal testing; corporate disclosure
of information; nuclear power; South Africa; the environment; and community
outreach.
Consumers can use the guide to selectively screen their purchases
for any or all of the criteria. At a glance, a shopper can tell if a company
has a good environmental record, maintains ties to South Africa, or is
involved in the production of nuclear weapons.
-Louis Nemeth "Shopping for a Better World" is available for $4.95, plus $1 postage from CEP, 30
Irving Place, NY, NY 10003
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