Ethical Consumer Research Association Ltd (ECRA) is a British not-for-profit publisher, research, political, and campaign organisation which publishes information on the social, ethical and environmental behaviour of companies and governments and issues around trade justice and ethical consumption. It was founded in 1989 by Rob Harrison and Jane Turner and has been publishing the bi-monthly Ethical Consumer Magazine since. It is an industrial and provident society. In 2012 the organisation started to collaborate with Lush, creating the Lush Prize, a £250,000 biennial fund that awards innovators working to find solutions to end animal testing.
Company research and ratings
Ethical Consumer researches the social, ethical and environmental records of companies, using media reporting, NGO reports, corporate communications and primary research. They provide companies that they deem to have good ethical credentials with a best buy label.
Consumer publishing
It publishes a bi-monthly print magazine, Ethical Consumer Magazine, sold via subscription, shops and newsstands, and a consumer website which is partly subscription based. This includes analysis of company and product ethics by sector including: Banking Sector, Energy Industry, Fashion, Food & drink, Home & Garden, Supermarkets, Technology and Transport. Some of the causes it supports are more contentious, such as the BDS movement.
It produces reports on products and companies, and lists current boycotts. in conjunction (2019) with The Co-operative Bank.
Campaigning
Ethical Consumer runs consumer oriented campaigns, including a boycott against Amazon.com, Inc. for its use of tax avoidance. It has also campaigned for better working conditions, on behalf of migrant agricultural workers, based in Spain.
See also
- Alter-globalisation
- Anti-globalisation movement
- Business ethics
- Fair trade
- Green brands