Eco-Flowers Don’t Need to Cost More
Hooray for cancer free flowers!

Did you know 80% of flowers used in the USA come from Ecuador and Colombia? Some interesting coverage of the emerging eco-flower market.

Michael Keyes of Veriflora sums up the benefits of ecolabels as follows: “producers get credit in the marketplace, and consumers can feel good about what they’re giving.”

The journalist for this piece called flower stores and found those that didn’t carry organic flowers said that they were too expensive. The journalist then went online and found they were actually about the same price. Makes me think retailers are worried about eco-products squeezing their margins.

No Comments » | Tags: organic
Posted by Jacob on Thursday, February 21st, 2008 | Permalink |

Eco-restaurant label
Waiter? There's a clear conscience in my soup!

Here’s a great NY Times article on an eco-restaurant label for the USA.

What about a google maps version of this page?

No Comments » | Tags: organic
Posted by Jacob on Thursday, February 14th, 2008 | Permalink |

Bulgaria’s Bio Baloney
It's gotta do what it says on the tin people.

The Sofia Echo reports that in many cases producers are falsely labelling their products as “bio” “eco” or “organic”.

The Bulgarian National Consumer Association has sent letters to producers advising them that they are actually breaking the law by using misleading advertising.

So far they haven’t taken anyone to court but it’s nice to see the BCNA stand up for the rights of their green consumers. Unfortunately our database doesn’t list any national level ecolabels for Bulgaria, which may also be part of the problem.

No Comments » | Tags: greenwash, organic
Posted by Jacob on Thursday, November 29th, 2007 | Permalink |

Natural, Organic Beauty. Hideous Brand Management.
A little more enthusiasm from the produce section please.

Accompanying their article on young organic cosmetics consumers, the NY Times has followed up with a more detailed analysis of the industry. According to the Organic Trade Association sales of organic personal care items reached $350 million last year, an increase of $68 million over 2005.

The article notes that increasing confusion over the “truthiness” of the natural personal care market stems in part from the lack of national standards. According to the US Food and Drug Administration there is no national standard for what “organic” or “natural” means.

The result is a general free for all in the market which will undoubtedly lead to claims of greenwashing and damage consumer confidence in the organic brand. This is exactly the opposite of what the planet and consumers need. If the phenomenal industry growth in green products is going to continue groups like the Organic Trade Association need to stop resting on their laurels and produce clear industry standards that pave the way toward government baseline regulations.

The shocker in this article is a spokesperson from the USDA Organic ecolabel actually telling readers of the NY Times that they shouldn’t interpret that label as proof of health benefits or efficacy.

She calls the USDA logo a “marketing program”; basically assuring consumers that her logo is marketing fluff, not to be taken seriously. You can almost hear the balloon deflate.

No Comments » | Tags: consumerism, organic, standards, usda
Posted by Jacob on Tuesday, November 6th, 2007 | Permalink |

Kraft does organics right
News from the 'pleasantly surprised' department.

We like to give praise where it’s due, and today I’m happy to dole out my allotment to Kraft. Yes, that Kraft.

When I stumbled across the Kraft Organics promotions page, I was greeted by straightforward explanations of ‘organic’, certification, verification, labelling, and regulation.

If everyone was so clear, we’d be out of a job.

No Comments » | Tags: food, organic, retailer
Posted by Trevor on Wednesday, October 31st, 2007 | Permalink |

Apples, Milk, Peanuts, Potatoes, Ketchup
NY Times nominates the organic big five.

Great post on the NY Times Blog today about five products to look for in organic. We are currently showing 45 ecolabels around the World for food, have a look for the ones in your country and keep an eye out the next time you hit the grocery store.

No Comments » | Tags: organic
Posted by Jacob on Wednesday, October 24th, 2007 | Permalink |

Vote with your wallet
Polls now open in the produce department.

Save the Planet: Vote Smart - New York Times

As Krugman notes, voting for leaders that prioritise the environment is important. This 2006 Guardian article on organic food states that “sales of organic produce in the UK have jumped 30% in a year and are now worth £1.6bn annually.” Clearly, the ballot box isn’t the only way you can vote for the environment.

No Comments » | Tags: consumerism, organic
Posted by Jacob on Saturday, October 20th, 2007 | Permalink |