Ecolabels and the Greening of the Food Market (Proceedings of a Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, November 7-9, 2002)

Excerpts from the Preface: In recent years there has been a proliferation of labels that are intended to convey that foods have been produced in an environmentally and socially preferable way. These “ecolabels” variously apply to areas such as consumption of renewable resources; soil, air and water pollution; biodiversity and wildlife; farm animal welfare; and social justice and equity. Some are bestowed by existing organizations, others by organizations created just for the purpose. Most are private, but one especially important one (“organic”) has been regulated by the US Department of Agriculture since 2002 and by the European Union since the 1990s. Many involve independent third-party certification to enhance consumers’ confidence, but others don’t. Because ecolabels are a rapidly growing part of today’s food market, with different kinds emerging all the time, it seemed appropriate to bring together all segments of the food production and marketing sector in a conference that would give us a better of idea of where this segment of the market stands today and what the future holds. The conference was intended to serve three purposes: • to provide a comprehensive picture of the current state of ecolabels • to review what we do and do not know about how they affect food marketing, and to identify key areas where research is needed • to provide a forum for discussing the controversies that surround ecolabels.