Ethical Supermarkets UK

Although I would love to buy all my food from small locally owned businesses, it’s not always that easy. Wherever possible I buy fresh fruit and vegetables from the small shop in my village, but for tins and plant milk I tend to buy from supermarkets. This is partly down to the choice available in supermarkets but also down to the cost. However, even though I do use supermarkets I want to make sure they align with my beliefs. So which are the most ethical supermarkets in the UK?

Firstly I need to clarify what I mean by ethical. It’s true that each person has their own ethical standards and what they find to be acceptable but I think the below covers the main areas people focus on.

What Does It Mean To Be An Ethical Supermarket?

The things to look into include:

• How workers are treated and what they are paid
• Where products are sourced and what processes are in place to ensure there is no exploitation in the food chain – of people and animals
• The policy on plastic packaging, carbon emissions and sustainable produce

Overall it has to be said that the largest and most well known UK supermarkets are not very ethical.

Sustainability

One thing I always look for when I’m researching companies is a sustainability page and other pages such as modern slavery statements on their website. Be aware these pages sometimes give the impression that a company is more ethical or eco-friendly than they actually are. (Greenwashing). What you want to see when you look at these pages is evidence of them taking steps to reduce their negative impacts. Ideally they include statistics showing any reduction in their carbon footprint and tangible evidence of suppliers they no longer use etc. Unfortunately you will normally see statements like this one from Tesco…

“We are focused on tackling the global climate change threat, protecting important ecosystems such as forests and marine environments and advocating for sustainable agricultural practices that protect soil health and biodiversity.”

Being such a large company, rather than advocating for sustainable agricultural practices they could just use suppliers that already use these practices. This would make a massive difference and also encourage other major brands to adopt the same practices.

Another example of greenwashing from Tesco, and why you should always look into any claims made are their recent social media adverts.

“Tesco has started running social media adverts claiming that they support Greenpeace’s call to stop deforestation, insisting that they do not buy meat from Brazil. They also claim that by the end of this year they will have hit their ‘target of zero deforestation for soy animal feed through certification’.”

Sounds great, but in reality…

“much of the chicken and pork on their shelves is fed on Brazilian soya, and produced by companies owned by Amazon rainforest destroyers.”

Please read this article from Greenpeace to find out more.

Most Ethical Supermarkets in the UK

I’m going to be focussed mainly on the UK supermarkets with the largest market share; Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, Co-op, Lidl, Waitrose, Iceland and Marks & Spencer; Listed in order of size. If you happen to have smaller independent supermarkets nearby they tend to rank more highly.

Most Ethical Supermarkets in the UK Overall

If you’re lucky enough to live nearby and have easy access to Unicorn wholefood grocery in Manchester, HISBE Brighton Supermarket or Infinity Foods Co-operative in East Sussex they’re the most ethical UK supermarkets by far. It’s definitely worth shopping at the smaller, locally owned supermarkets if you are near to one.

Article is currently being updated – please bear with me…

I realise for many people they have no real choice about where they can do their food shopping. If this is the case for you there are ways to make your food shop more ethical regardless of which supermarket you use.

How To Be An Ethical Shopper

• Buy Products that are Fair Trade
• Look for Organic Produce
• Choose Plastic Free Packaging
• Buy Sustainably Sourced Ingredients (e.g. palm oil, sustainably farmed fish etc)
• Always choose Free Range Meat & Eggs
• Buy Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables (which reduces their carbon footprint)
• Avoid GMO’s*
• And Only Buy What You Need

*What are GMO’s and why should you avoid them?

GMO’s are Genetically Modified Organisms. In theory GMO’s are not bad;

“In the food industry, GMO crops have had genes added to them for various reasons, such as improving their growth, nutritional content, sustainability, pest resistance, and ease of farming.” – Pros and Cons of GMO’s

GMO’s really help to reduce the cost of producing food, however as The Ethical Consumer states…

“Genetically modified seeds and crops bind growers to powerful multinationals producing agricultural chemicals. These companies have been criticised for seriously exploiting small-scale farmers. Look for organic to be sure that you are avoiding GMOs.”

GMO crops are also resistant to herbicides such as glyphosate, which have been linked to various diseases and which kill off a lot of plants which are vital for pollinators.

How to Avoid GMO’s in the UK

“In the EU (including in the UK), foods must say on their label if they:

• • contain or consist of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
  • contain ingredients produced from GMOs”

However it’s worth noting that

“Foods produced with the help of GM technology do not have to be labelled. An example of this is cheese produced with the help of GM enzymes which are used to clot the milk in the production process. These are not ingredients in the cheese.

Products such as meat, milk and eggs from animals that are fed on GM animal feed also do not need to be labelled.” – food.gov.uk

I’m not going to pretend that everyone is able to shop ethically. There are lots of people who just don’t have the disposable income available to make ethical choices, which are often more expensive. All I can advise is to do your best. Try to buy local, try to buy seasonal fruit and vegetables, and try to shop at the most ethical supermarket close to you. It’s also worth looking into the most eco-friendly recipe boxes if you’re considering trying out a subscription service.

Check out the Most Ethical Banks in the UK as well and ensure that your money isn’t being invested in dubious business practices.

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