The Co-operative has announced that it is to consult its four million members on the development of an ethical food policy.
The survey will be the largest poll of ethics ever undertaken in the UK and will guide the business’s future responsible retailing strategy.
Following initial engagement with members, via focus groups and in-depth discussions, a comprehensive questionnaire has been produced in which members are asked to prioritise issues such as climate change, packaging reduction, healthy eating, food labelling, Fairtrade, animal welfare, sustainable sourcing and community support.
Moreover, the 2007 poll will seek, for the first time, to recognise that sometimes issues develop and hard choices need to be faced.
For example, the drive to reduce food miles and carbon dioxide emissions could have real social impacts on third world growers as supply chains are redirected more locally; the push for packing reduction and light-weighting could see retailers move from glass to PVC and create toxicity concerns.
In both instances, The Co-operative is asking members to consider the adoption of truly sustainable positions, and to not consider issues in isolation.
The Co-operative has previously undertaken dialogue to inform its policies - in both 1994 and 2004, 30,000 people were consulted in its Shopping with Attitude research. However, never before have members and customers been given a vote in such numbers.
Peter Marks, chief executive of the Co-operative Trading Group, said: “This consultation with our members reinforces our unique approach to responsible retailing.
“We are determined not to pursue lazy thinking, such as airplane logos on airfreighted produce, and instead take a more considered approach - one consistent with a business that was founded to tackle responsible retailing from the outset. Our members will help establish our ethical priorities for the next three to five years and will be a constant means of obtaining a mandate for our actions.”
In 1992, The Co-op was the first supermarket to embrace Fairtrade by stocking Cafédirect and followed this in 2000 by introducing the UK’s first Fairtrade bananas.
In terms of environmental initiatives, the group led the switch to green electricity back in 1998, and its green credentials were further underlined last year when it became the first major retailer in the UK to switch all its mainland outlets to green electricity.
In 2007, the group’s work on climate change saw it recognised as the winner of the Business Commitment to the Environment Awards and the Renewable Energy Awards, and it was declared the UK’s greenest high street retailer by the BBC’s Money Programme.
The membership network across the Co-operative Movement will be involved in the ethical food policy consultation process. As well as the four million members of The Co-operative Group, several other co-operative societies are involving their members in the discussion.
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