I was recently the guest of a local Fairtrade group.  The subject under discussion was ethical consumption.  It was brought about because of the understanding by the group that a simple answer, such as buy Fairtrade, is no longer a good enough response (other independent certification systems are available – he says in a BBC kind of way).  What does “buy Fairtrade” actually mean for today’s consumer?  And with more and more big brands using the Fairtrade label is all Fairtrade the same?

I’ve been in a number of meetings in recent weeks where I’ve heard a number of professionals in the Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability industries (I choose my words carefully) talk about how sustainability is moving from it being a CSR issue within companies to being mainstreamed in the way people do business. And I think to myself; is this really true?

This blog entry is adapted from a post I have published on my client's, the Rainforest Alliance’s blog, the Frog Blog UK.

Whether you’re a local charity, a small business, a large multi-national company or a global conservation organisation like the Rainforest Alliance there is one common challenge that has to be faced by all.  In this age of mass communications – at least here in the developed world – where people are used to receiving thousands of messages almost every hour of every day how do you make sure your voice is being heard?  There is much talk about communications overload, but almost in the spirit of evolution many of us have learnt to become experts at dealing this in bombardment of facts, opinions, advertising, marketing and yes propaganda.  We have simply learnt how to be selective and how to filter.  Our selection is often based upon our values and what it is that interests us.  In many ways this makes in even more difficult for many organisations to get their messages across.  This is particularly true for those who have limited or no resources to throw at communications.

Environmental and ethical claims on products are becoming more and more common.  Everything from the coffee we drink to the car we drive makes some claim about some aspect of environmental sustainability.  But are they worth anything and do we understand them?