Ethical Consumer, Issue 183, March/April 2020
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£4·25 183 March/April 2020 www.ethicalconsumer.org PLANT POWER SHOPPING GUIDES TO l Plant Milk l Vegan Cheese l Dairy Milk l Bananas CAPITAL AT RISK. INVESTMENTS ARE LONG TERM AND MAY NOT BE READILY REALISABLE. ABUNDANCE IS AUTHORISED AND REGULATED BY THE FINANCIAL CONDUCT AUTHORITY (525432). add to your nest egg without burning fossil fuels abundance investment make good money 2 Ethical Consumer March/April 2020 ETHICAL CONSUMER Editorial WHO’S WHO t’s great to start this issue’s detail at the climate impact of different THIS ISSUE’S EDITOR Tim Hunt editorial with some good news. For milks on page 33. PROOFING Ciara Maginness (Little Blue Pencil) WRITERS/RESEARCHERS Jane Turner, Tim Hunt, the first time in our long history However plant-based milks still make Rob Harrison, Anna Clayton, Joanna Long, we’ve broken the 10,000 paying- up just 4% of the milk market, with Josie Wexler, Ruth Strange, Mackenzie Denyer, Isubscriber barrier. Now it’s just a matter dairy milk accounting for 96% of sales. Clare Carlile, Francesca de la Torre, Alex Crumbie, of persuading some of the other 150,000 With this in mind we also decided to Tom Bryson REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Simon Birch, Colin Birch online readers to join our paying reader update our dairy milk report again this DESIGN Tom Lynton community! year. You won’t find any Best Buys in the LAYOUT Adele Armistead (Moonloft), Jane Turner Thanks to all those who have guide, as our feature on page 30 points COVER Tom Lynton supported us over this period. It’s been out the climate impact of dairy cattle CARTOONS Marc Roberts, Andy Vine, Mike Bryson a long road but it’s fantastic that we’ve makes it unsustainable in its current AD SALES Simon Birch reached this landmark in our 30th form. But we felt that it was important SUBSCRIPTIONS Elizabeth Chater, Francesca Thomas anniversary year. to draw attention to some of the issues PRESS ENQUIRIES Simon Birch, Tim Hunt Thanks also to the new members of in the market, not least the plight of ENQUIRIES Francesca Thomas our community who have subscribed the badgers, and showcase some truly WEB EDITOR Sophie Billington more recently. You’ve joined a alternative models of dairy farming. THANKS ALSO TO Marlous Veldt, Emma Kerrison committed group of readers who are In this issue we also cover another All material correct one month before cover date changing the world at the checkout and staple of the UK food shopper, bananas. and © Ethical Consumer Research Association beyond. They have a long and troubled history Ltd. ISSN 0955 8608 (see www.ethicalconsumer.org/banana- Printed with vegetable ink by RAP Spiderweb Ltd, More good news! republics-colonial-control) and human c/o the Commercial Centre, Clowes Centre, Hollinwood, Oldham OL9 7LY. 0161 947 3700 Since the last issue, we’ve released rights abuses are sadly still rife in the industry. Luckily Fairtrade and other PAPER 100% post-consumer waste, chlorine-free our annual ethical consumer markets and sourced from the only UK paper merchant report. For 20 years this has been a accreditation schemes have brought supplying only recycled papers – Paperback barometer of ethical spending in the some benefits especially to smallholders (www.paperbackpaper.co.uk) UK. Back in 1999, the total size of ethical in Latin America where the majority of RETAIL DISTRIBUTION is handled by Central Books consumer markets in the UK was just the UK’s bananas are imported from. on 0845 458 9911. Ethical Consumer is a member of INK £11.2bn. Today the figure is almost four Our Best Buy recommendations can (independent news collective), an association of times that at £41.1bn. We’d like to think make a real difference to the lives of radical and alternative publishers. that we’ve helped to nurture this market workers. www.ink.uk.com and have played some part in its growth We are a Living Wage employer, a multi-stakeholder (see page 42). Bruce Bingham co-op, and Fair Tax Mark accredited. We learned earlier this year that Bruce Latest guides Bingham had died in January at the In this issue we cover two markets that age of 56. Longer term subscribers and are set to grow exponentially over the supporters may remember his name next few years, that of plant milks from articles and other communications. and vegan cheese. Bruce worked for Ethical Consumer In 2019, 23% of UK for its first ten years between 1989 consumers used plant-based and 1999, at a time when the project milk alternatives, up from 19% was precarious and the pay was very ABOUT THE ADVERTISERS in 2018. For example oat low. His dedication to Ethical ECRA checks out advertisers before accepting their milk sales surged by 71% Consumer in these early years ads and reserves the right to refuse any advert last year, as consumers played an important part in COVERED IN PREVIOUS PRODUCT GUIDES Abundance bought over £36m worth helping it grow to where it is (177), Kingfisher Toothpaste (165), Mooncup of the dairy alternative. now. Thanks Bruce. (179), Natracare (179), Suma (178), Vegetarian Shoes (162), Wainwright’s Honey (183), Windmill The trend looks to set to Organics (178), Infinity Wholefoods (178). continue as the number OTHER ADVERTISERS Book Aid, Energy4All, Green of vegans, vegetarians Building Store, Investing Ethically, Shared and flexitarians continues Interest, Womankind. to rise in response to the TIM HUNT climate crisis. We look in EDITOR WHAT IS ETHICAL CONSUMER? Democratise the market by enabling Push for wider political action and 2consumers to assert their own ethical 5legislative change. Ethical consumerism is We are an independent, not-for-profit, multi- values by using our shopping guides. not a replacement for other forms of political stakeholder co-operative founded in 1989 action. But it is an important additional way and based in Manchester. Our primary goal is Have a fully transparent ranking system. All for people to exert their influence. making global businesses more sustainable 3our data is available to subscribers. through consumer pressure. Our mission is to: HOW TO CONTACT US Engage with companies by telling them why Unit 21, 41 Old Birley Street, Manchester, M15 5RF Help consumers to challenge corporate we are buying or not buying their products. 4 0161 226 2929 — 10-5pm 1 power by using their economic vote every We also send them detailed questions about [email protected] — general time they go shopping. their policy and practice on ethical issues. [email protected] — subscriptions ethicalconsumer.org 3 NEW Be part of an exciting venture delivering Community Owned Solar Panels on Schools >> Grip, Stability & Comfort new share offer NOW open! The Schools’ Energy Co-operative has already successfully installed community funded solar panels target of on 61 schools and a children’s hospice. 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Tel: 01273 691913 | [email protected] & Europe 4 Ethical Consumer March/April 2020 Ethical Consumer 1/4 page ad 0120.indd 1 16/01/2020 12:22 ETHICAL CONSUMER Contents 30 FEATURE SHOPPING GUIDES 30 How bad are meat and Plant Milk dairy for the climate? 10 Introduction including dairy milk & cheese vs plant milk & cheese 12 Score Table & Best Buys 14 Packaging 6 10 NEWS 06 Food & Home Supermarkets ranked on plastics 9 and pesticides, how to reduce your internet carbon footprint Vegan Cheese 08 Clothes 16 Introduction Milan fashion and diversity, join the fashion fast 17 Ingredients 18 Score Table & Best Buys 09 Climate BP lobbying, Cornwall drops gas Dairy Milk 42 Ethical Consumer Markets 21 Introduction Report the state of the ethical market 22 Score Table & Best Buys 23 The strain on cows and 44 Money farmers pensions & climate change, BlackRock divests from coal 27 Badger cull update 28 Doing dairy differently 45 Tax justice the tax avoidance of the silicon six 34 47 Boycotts Amazon, Kirin beer 21 50 REGULARS 43 Ethical Novice Trials and tribulations of trying to be ethical: Milk Bananas 34 Introduction 46 Subscriptions Subscribe or give a gift subscription 35 Workers’ rights abuses 36 Score Table & Best Buys 48 Letters A regular forum for readers’ views 38 Banana certification schemes 50 Inside view 39 Pesticides – how and why to Stitched Up – sustainable fashion project avoid them ethicalconsumer.org 5 NEWS Food & home © Robin Markland © Robin Meat companies cash in on the vegan pound In the plant milk and vegan cheese guides we highlight the brands that are owned by non-vegan companies. Now two new meat-alternative brands have come onto the market that are owned by major meat companies. The Green Butcher The Green Butcher brand of plant-based pork-like slices is owned by Tulip Ltd, the UK’s largest pig producer which has received continuous petitioning and protesting from animal rights activists over the years due to its inhumane practices.