Behind the Brands, a user-friendly website and call for consumer action, is a close examination of Associated British Foods (ABF), Coca Cola, Danone, General Mills, Kellogg, Mars, Mondelez, Nestle, Pepsico and Unilever. Oxfam created a scorecard to rate the companies on seven criteria: workers' and farmers' rights, protection of women's rights, water and land management, climate change and transparency in supply chains and policies and operations.
None of the companies scored well. Nestle had the highest ranking with 55 percent and ABF the lowest with 19 percent.
| Oxfam's Behind the Brands offers an easy-to-read colored scorecard to show how the 10 largest companies rate on seven metrics. |
Oxfam encourages consumers to learn about the production of some of their favorite foods and contact the companies via email, Twitter or other means to move toward products that are better for workers, the environment and the supply chain as a whole. Oxfam aims to make companies more conscious of the need to move to a more equitable and ecological production system. Some of the products Oxfam critiqued include chocolates, tea, dairy products, bottled water, potato chips, ice cream.
| The many brands represented by the Big 10 food and beverage companies ranked by Oxfam's Behind the Brands. Because three of the companies--Mars, Mondelez and Nestle--manufacture cocoa products, Oxfam also released several resources about chocolate production and women's labor rights. The most eye-catching is a short video posted on YouTube titled "The Truth about Women and Chocolate." |
As you read through the Behind the Brands information and supplemental information, please remember to be a responsible consumer and contact your favorite brands about improving their supply chains to the benefit of everyone!
Jessica J. Burchard, Oxfam Columbus Action Corps Co-Leader 2012-13.
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