Ethical and environmental factors that affect food choice
An ethical consumer will care deeply about where their food comes from and the welfare of the animals and people involved in making that food.
They will look for the following factors:
- Organic produce – ethical consumers tend to buy organic produce as it is produced in a way that protects the environment.
- Fairtrade produce – ethical consumers tend to buy Fairtrade produce, for example bananas or chocolate, as the farmers responsible for producing the product have been given a fair price for their produce.
- Local produce – ethical consumers often like to support local farmers. For example, consumers from Northern Ireland may like to purchase apples that have been grown in County Armagh as this reduces food miles.