Can Ethical Consumerism Create a Better, Greener Society?
Q: What is a “buycott ” and is it an effective tool for creating a greener world? A: “Buycotting” is the opposite of boycotting. It is a positive activist tool that leverages consumer power to make the most socially-responsible business practices also the most profitable choices for companies. Whereas a boycott is a punishment of a company for negative behavior (think formula maker Nestl), a buycott is a positive reward to a company for good behavior and a carrot to promote change. It works on the understanding that corporations have profit as their top priority and, rather than rage against that, buycotts work with it to make responsibility the most profitable choice. You might think of buycotting as the formalization of actions already being taken by many Natural Life Magazine readers – that is, taking responsibility for our consumer choices based upon ethical, environmental, social, and political criteria. Such ethical shopping is increasingly aided by certification programs, like “
