A Shopping Cart for Social Change?
by Melissa Kushi

Are you aware of the immense power your wallet wields in the natural food store? Beyond the factors of wellbeing, taste and pleasure, do the products you buy resonate with your values, beliefs, and dreams for a better world?

Organically grown, fairly traded products have been the benchmark for quality and social justice. However, more companies and consumers alike are now realizing that there are, even with the best of intentions, significant and often unappreciated costs to the planet. For each bag, box, pouch or jar of food produced, consumed and disposed of, there is a huge footprint created in getting those products into your cart.

Why Become a Conscious Consumer

Having worked most of my life in sustainable foods, alternative health, and ethical business models, I've traveled to some of the world's most remote and deeply cultured regions of the planet. Working with indigenous people, I was inspired by their wealth of ancient knowledge, biodiversity and traditional heirloom foods, and firmly believe them to be key to our collective future. I witnessed the devastating effects of adopting a modern refined diet and western consumer habits, and how it eroded their health, culture, and the rich biodiverse regions they inhabit.

Around the globe, I saw how consumer culture is one of the primary forces harming the planet. It became clear that -- as the third world is seeking balance for survival; the first world is seeking balance for meaning. As a social entrepreneur, this is where I believe conscious consumers have the power to bridge the divide and create immense change in the world. But as one person, where do we begin?

From Inspiration into Action

Every time you buy products that are organically grown, fairly traded, and ethically produced in ways that do not compromise the future, you reduce the gap between economy and ecology, people and planet. You are also supporting and improving the lives of producers, helping to preserve their regional biodiversity and culture, and creating a more level economic playing field for some of the poorest people on the planet.

By choosing products that reflect the values of sustainability; preserving and restoring the beauty and abundance of our living earth - you are also supporting companies whose values, combined with those of your own, creating a powerful vehicle for market-based social change. And while this shift is viewed by some as unrealistic or blue-sky, a values-based economy is really the fastest way to reduce global warming, create social change, and promote wellbeing for humanity.

In fact, making conscious choices in the check-out line are some of the most fundamental, yet powerful actions you can take at the most basic, every day level. When you choose to make a change in the world through your food purchases, you are shaping the decisions made in boardrooms around the country.

This is evident from Wal-Mart's inclusion of organics, to the other end of the scale, where Cliff Bar launched their own Cool Commute Program, supporting employees to lessen their environmental impact at home and at work, by offering cash incentives.

At Sustainable Sourcing, we are aiming to leave the lightest footprint by creating a set of strict standards in the sourcing, production and packaging of HimalaSalt. We use 100% recycled, recyclable, refillable, packaging; use methods of ethical sourcing, which includes fairtrade standards with our workers in the Himalayas, we use 5% of our profits for the environment, and the company's fossil fuel footprint is offset by 100% Green-e certified wind power through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The BEF, a non-profit, uses the proceeds of Green Tag purchases to generate new wind energy that goes into the existing power grid, thus lessening our dependence upon fossil fuels.

In fact, our efforts are being recognized this spring by New Hope Natural Media at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA March 9-11, 2007, by being chosen as the product most closely aligned with and representative of their new "Ethical Consumerism" category in the Hot Trend Zones.

Without making negative value judgments, there are also a lot of companies touting natural products without social or environmental policies. Products that are poorly designed with only short term profits in mind are destined for the landfill and do not account for the unseen costs to the environment.

Sustainable Sourcing, along with others, are committed to calculating that cost and providing an environmental compensation, viewing it as sort of an energy bank. The cost of doing business, including packaging, production, transportation, refrigeration, warehousing, and distribution requires intense energy resources. We owe it to ourselves and the earth to generate that amount and more of clean, renewable energy, which is then put back into the power grid through non-profits like the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

Most traditional power generation relies on burning fossil fuel. Green Tags are created when wind power or other renewable energy is substituted for traditional power. The result is a shift away from our dependence on burning fossil fuel to produce electricity. Every time we replace existing power with wind, solar or another renewable resource, the electricity pool becomes a little greener, benefiting everyone.

Greening Your Grub

Companies that are making a difference have raised the bar by adopting a set of basic standards. This list, far from exhaustive, is a primer on what to look for in companies whose products you purchase. If they don't measure up, you get to choose whether or not you support them with your purchases:

Quality: Is it Organic, Biodynamic, Indigenous Permaculture, wild-crafted, unprocessed, locally produced, or artisan crafted?

Social Value: Does the company use ethical sourcing and fair trade standards that alleviates child labor, create fair wages and worker equity, with programs that support suppliers, their source community and culture?

Environment: What are your favorite companies doing to reduce their energy use footprint, including using renewable energy in the form of Green Tags to offset carbon use.

Profit: Using a portion of profits to create social change, providing consumers with a vehicle for change, and giving back to their source community.

So what happens when you mix vision, inspiration, and a commitment to the earth as you bring a healthful product to the marketplace? Myself, along with others, have been blessed to discover that the formula can lead success for us all. www.himalasalt.com