About a week ago I stumbled across this great resource called “The Better World Shopper” at some little independent bookstore (I think we were in Pasadena). Unfortunately I didn’t buy a copy for myself and have since then,vowed not to buy another book until October, because I have be spending too much and not reading enough as of late. Hum, maybe Tamara wants to buy us a copy?  

Anyhow its a tiny little book not much bigger than a Bencher is, so it’s very portable and IMO just as handy. It basically provides consumers with a graded list (click on the image above for the grading rubric) of a wide variety of products from over 1000 companies.

Here is a description of the books (& sites) basic goal.

BETTER WORLD SHOPPER is a site dedicated to providing people with a comprehensive, up-to-date, reliable account of the social and environmental responsibility of every company on the planet AND making it available in practical forms that individuals can use in their everyday lives. Coming out of more than 5 years of intensive research, this work is based on a comprehensive database of over 1000 companies and utilizes 25+ reliable sources of data to cover everything from the environment to human rights, community development to animal protection.

According to the Authors the problem can be summed up as the following.

Money is power. And wherever large amounts of money collect, so also new centers of power form. The latest historical manifestation of this is the modern corporation.

Make no mistake, these new power centers are not democracies. We don’t vote for the CEO’s or their policies (unless we are: rich enough to be significant shareholders, informed enough to know what’s going one, and compassionate enough to care about more than just personal profit), yet our destinies are increasingly in their hands.

The Better World Shopper goes on to break this problem down into five key issues.  

HUMAN RIGHTS: sweatshops, 3rd world community exploitation, international health issues, divestment, child labor, code of conduct.

THE ENVIRONMENT: global warming, rainforest destruction, pollution, recycling, renewable energy, greenwashing, toxic waste, eco-innovations, illegal dumping, sustainable farming.

ANIMAL PROTECTION: factory farming, animal testing, humane treatment, wild animal habitat.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: family farms, local business support, volunteer efforts, sustainable growth, philanthropic donations, nonprofit alliances, establishing foundations.

SOCIAL JUSTICE: fair wages, fatalities, union busting efforts, health & safety records, discrimination based on: race, gender, age, ability, religion, sexuality, ethnicity.

What’s nice is that the Better World Shopper doesn’t just identify problems it also proposes solutions.

As these power centers shift, we must shift our own voices if we wish to be heard. As citizens, on average, we might vote once ever 4 years, if at all. As consumers, we vote every single day with the purest form of power…money.
The average American family spends around $18,000 each year on goods and services. Think of it as casting 18,000 votes every year for the kind of world you want to live in. Use this site to take back your power.

Sound Interesting? Well if so, how about watching a video lecture featuring (among others) Dr. Ellis Jones, who is one of the brains behind the book discuss as he discusses a variety of topics related to the guide and social responsibility. I am watching/listening to it know as I write this post and its pretty damn good. So check it out!

I suppose to sum things up, I would say that this is a great guide and a worthy addition to any eco-Kosher toolkit. Essentially the underlying premise behind all of it is “informed Choice” and that’s something I (and suspect many of you) can get behind.

As always feel free to share you thoughts.

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