What is wrong with Ethical Consumption? (By Jo Littler)

Jo Littler is a Reader in the Centre for Culture and Creative Industries and director of Research in the Department of Sociology. She completed a PhD in Culture and Communication at the University of Sussex, and taught there and later at Middlesex University, where she worked in Media and Cultural Studies.

She is interested in the interrelationships between culture, society and politics, and her research includes work on meritocracy, consumer culture, gender, heritage and celebrity.

In this essay she considered about key criticism of ethical consumption and it is a summery of different attitudes toward the positions and explain the theories from media and cultural studies.

 At first I want to explain what the ethical consumption is even I myself didn't know. It means as an ethical consumer we suppose to buy products which are ethically produced or which are not harmful to our environment and society. This can be buying free-range eggs or as complex as boycotting goods produced by child labour.  

Jo states that ethical consumption can be ultimately as it is only used by minimum of consumers and it is a form of independently of politics however most governments encourage people to be responsible among the social safety nets. She mentioned a Fair Trade Product as well which it`s goal is give producers a decent price for the labours. Alex Nicholls and Charlotte Opal explained this term in their Fair Trade book. They said the aim of Fair Trade is to suggest the producers in developing counties to move out of very poverty making markets access under beneficial rather than exploitative terms and the purpose is to empower products for developing their own business through international trade. Nicholas & Opal states that Fair Trade suggests a way of the producer- consumer relationship that join again consumption and production via the new supply chain model that can spread its economic benefits fairly in stakeholders.  They said the Fair Trade is defined by some key practice like agreed minimum prices, direct purchasing from producers and Co-operative.

Also there are some ways you can do as an ethical consumer: One step we can pace is checking the ethical credentials of companies before you buy. Many companies take their responsibilities towards their producers very seriously, inspecting factories and production areas. You can find these information on their websites.
The second important step is to consider whether you really need the product, before buying anything and try to be positive consumer and buy organic or cruelty free. This option is arguably the most important since it directly supports progressive companies. Finally avoiding products you disapprove of such as battery eggs or polluting cars.

 At the end I like to mention about CSR activity (Corporate social responsibility). "Corporate responsibility is simply a way for companies to take responsibility for the social and environmental impacts of their business operations," said Jen Boynton, vice president of member engagement. He said a CSR program is an opportunity for companies to show their good corporate citizenship and protect the company from outsized risk by looking at the whole social and environmental areas that surrounds the company.

I just point one of the important social responsibility is to their customers, many companies now focus on and practice a few flat categories of CSR such as Environmental efforts; Businesses regardless of size have a large carbon footprint. Any steps they can take to reduce the footprints are considered both good for the company and society.

Question:

How some well-known companies can misled costumers with their green claims?
(it is complaint not a question)

How we as a costumer can push companies to pay attention to the social and environment impacts of their products?