food labels: 1/7 of 7

Ask Ruth: what do the different eco-labels mean?

Ruth Styles

13th September, 2011

The Ecologist's Green Living Editor finds answers to your ethical dilemmas. This week she’s looking at eco-labels more...

How to decode food labels and shop with a conscience

Pat Thomas

16th March, 2010

Is it healthy? Is it  organic? Is it fairly traded? How far has it travelled? At times, making informed choices can feel like a full-time job. Here is a pocket guide to buying food from the new book Stuffed more...

Behind the eco labels: Marine Stewardship Council

Pat Thomas

1st April, 2007

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) began in 1997 as a joint initiative between the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Unilever, a multinational company and one of the world’s largest buyers of fish. Its aim was to help preserve our dwindling fish stocks by certifying well-managed and sustainable fisheries. more...

Behind the eco labels: Organic

Pat Thomas

1st April, 2007

All organic food must meet a common set of minimum standards, as defined by the EU. Each EU member state has a national control body; the United Kingdom Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS) regulates the activities of six certification bodies in the UK. The oldest and largest, the Soil Association (founded in 1946), currently undertakes 80 per cent of all certification in the UK and is arguably the organic label most trusted by consumers. more...

Behind the eco labels: Fairtrade

Pat Thomas

1st April, 2007

At heart, fair trade is a strategy for poverty alleviation. It creates opportunities for producers in the developing world who have been economically disadvantaged by the conventional trading system and ensures they receive a fair price for their goods, and support and education for sustainable farming practices. more...

Behind the eco labels: Red Tractor

Pat Thomas

1st April, 2007

The food industry’s attempt to get in on the green labelling act was launched in 2000 to reassure consumers that a range of food products meet independently inspected standards. more...

Behind the Eco Labels

Pat Thomas

1st April, 2007

Ethical consumerism in the UK is currently worth £29.3 billion, yet 60 per cent of us feel we don't have enough information to make an ethical decision. There is an ever-growing array of eco labels, but what do they tell us? Or fail to tell us? Pat Thomas explains more...