Ethical Food Online

Fair traded and ethically produced food is the bread and butter you might say of ethical spending.

The purchase of food, where it comes from, and where and how it was produced, is at the centre of ethical investing for both individuals and organisations.

If you are interested in spending in a way which creates a more sustainable world and a fair environment for food suppliers; as well as living a healthy lifestyle, you need to source ethically and/or locally produced food as much as possible.

Issues surrounding the trade of food include: farmer exploitation, animal welfare, workers’ rights, genetic modification, packaging and waste, excessive travel and especially air miles, intensive farming and worker exploitation.

Ethical Food Stores: UK

This article provides information about online ethical food stores in the UK where you can be comfortable you will be buying food products that have been produced under the best terms and agreements for the ethical consumer.

Online Shopping

Ethical Food Stores

There are a growing number of fair trade fruit, veg and supermarket shops which are local and often producing organic and fair traded products. Town markets and farmers’ markets can also be a good source of locally produced, organic products.

However, for more information online, here are some popular fair trade and organic retailers specialising in food:

• SUMA Foods
• Big Barn
• UK Wholefood
• UK Food Online

SUMA

www.suma.coop/order

www.sumamarket.coop

SUMA stocks a massive range of ethical food products; as well as other products too. Suma is the UK’s largest independent wholefood distributor and a trusted retailer. They specialise in vegetarian, fairly traded, organic, ethical and natural food products, including staples such as bread, jams, biscuits, pasta, crackers, condiments and rice.

Everything they sell is 100 per cent vegetarian, specialising in organic, fair trade and naturally good food with an emphasis on being environmentally friendly as well as being organic and healthy.

Suma now offer a home delivery service as well as online shopping. Their commitment to ethical foods and everyday products includes leading the way in ethical food branding. It is what it says it is on the tin. Vegetarian really means vegetarian, for example, with no animal or fish derivatives used in production.

Big Barn

www.bigbarn.co.uk

Big Barn is big on ethical food. Their website specialises in local food, seasonal food, farm shopping food, sustainable and organically produced food. It provides a one stop shop for ethical food shoppers who want to search for their nearest local food producers, suppliers. It can also help you find good local organic and ethical food delivery services: meat, cheese, fish, fruit and vegetables, drinks, breads. The site claims to be the biggest online local food market place in the world with over 400 shops and 7,500 products.

It’s more than just a shopping site though. The organisation is passionate about British farming products, shopping local and its mission is to rebuild local shopping supply chains; and reconnect local food producers with their communities, which have often suffered under the dominating screw of supermarkets.

Other recommended online shopping stores for the ethical food shopper include:

FarmGate Direct

www.farm-direct.com

RSPCA site providing fresh meat and farm products under the Freedom Scheme.  The Freedom Food Scheme labels foods that have been treated ethically from farm to abattoir, based on basic freedoms allowing livestock to live as naturally and healthily as possible.

UK Food Online

www.ukfoodonline.co.uk

Large UK independent online directory that is focused on high quality produce and drink from smaller and quality driven producers. They described themselves as a kind of farmers’ market where instead of stalls there are links. They are wider in scope than other online ethical foodstuff sites with a good range of resources for those wishing to expand their horizons. Provides links to food suppliers, available to the general public, both online and by mail order.

ives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

Famous Co-ops

The world’s largest consumer co-operative business is the Co-operative Group in the UK, which offers a variety of retail services – its corner shops and supermarkets – and financial and funeral services: the Co-operative Bank and Co-operative Funeral Parlours

John Lewis, leading UK department store chain, is employee owned although not officially a co-op.

Other famous UK co-operatives include Suma Foods, the UK’s largest workers co-operative.

There are many other successful large scale co-ops in other countries.