Sustainable Branding Initiatives
What to look for in stores
There are many different organizations which focus on the sustainability of businesses and retail products, this page highlights three which are arguably some of the most influential, or effective, within Canada. As a brief introduction, B Corp focusses on the certification of businesses and retailers, while both Ocean Wise and Fair-Trade Certifications focus on the food and agriculture industry.
B Corporation
A B Corporation is a corporation which has been certified to meet certain standards with regard to their operations and initiatives. These standards, taken directly from the B Corporation website are:
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That we must be the change we seek in the world.
That all business ought to be conducted as if people and place mattered.
That, through their products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all.
To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are each dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.
There are many Corporations which have attained B Corp. certification, and many more which are aspiring to do so. More can be learnt at https://bcorporation.net/about-b-corps
Ocean Wise Certification
Ocean Wise is a Canadian certification organization which focusses on promoting sustainable fishing habits, in an effort to limit the effects of overfishing in our waters. Ocean Wise operates by promoting seafood it has deemed sustainable and has been doing so since 2005. To identify an Ocean Wise certified product, one must simply look for their logo on the packaging. The standards which Ocean Wise operates to can be found here: https://seafood.ocean.org/seafood-guide/how-we-grade/
Fair Trade Certification
The Fair-Trade certification organization can be thought of as a social sustainability advocate. They advocate and ensure that the workers, businesses, and farmers with whom they work all make a sustainable income, that is a Living Wage, to allow for the work which they do. While this may not seem like much to some, it is important to note that the Fair-Trade program works specifically with the local population of impoverished countries, where it is the norm for foreign entities to abuse their inopportunity through means of sweat-shops and similar working conditions. To learn more about Fair-Trade Certification you can visit their website at: https://www.fairtradecertified.org/