/ 12 January 2012

Responsible shopping in the 21st century

It’s the catchphrase of the noughties. “There’s an app for that” is the comeback to “What would I look like as a redhead?”(Ginger Booth), ‘What should I say to her?” (iPickuplines) and “What would Alan Partridge say?” (Pocket Alan).

Granted, some of these offerings might not be very useful, and certain apps — the one that quotes Anchorman, for instance — ought to be outlawed, but the increasing availability of technology certainly brings about some startling possibilities.

One local organisation has made it their mission to use technology to help us become more responsible shoppers. Designed to recognise products by text, voice or barcode scanning, the eLabel app allows shoppers to check up on environmental concerns relating to the product, for instance, its carbon footprint, water footprint and the manufacturer’s animal treatment.

“We aim to provide consumers with easily accessible information that tells them where their food comes from,” says activist Eitan Stern, the company’s project coordinator.

Peer pressure
The idea has been a while in the making. Some two years ago local filmmaker Wendy Hardie discovered that whilst Woolworths sold only free-range eggs in boxes, and marketed this fact, their pre-prepared products all made use of battery eggs. A campaign ensued and, after a fantastic response from concerned consumers, Woolworths changed their policy. In a recent press release, Woolworths announced that by March 2012 approximately half of their products will be made with free-range eggs and labelled accordingly.

“We realised there are a lot of people who want to know more about what they’re buying,” says Eitan, so eLabel decided to make the most of the technology at hand in order to help consumers do so easily.

Eitan teamed up with fellow activist Mark Fox, while Wendy went on to form sister organisation Concerned Consumers, and so eLabel was born.

“We have three types of experts who contribute to the platform,” Eitan explains. A full-time research team is supplemented by partnerships with experts in diverse fields (for example, nutritionists, lawyers and vets). Members of the public can also register on the website to join in the discussion and ask questions.

“We really wanted to promote and help ‘good practice’ brands,” says Eitan, aiming to bridge that gap between their activities and the consumer.

“Companies like Fairview Cheese, for instance, have put a lot of work into transforming their facilities into a carbon neutral facility and the public deserve to know about this.”

Concerned Consumers, meanwhile, contributes to the site to help expose companies that don’t have such good practices. “In 2012, we have clever consumers,” says Eitan. “Consumers want answers before we purchase, and now, thanks to the CPA (Consumer Protection Act), we are legally entitled to [these answers].”

The project is still in a beta phase at present, with many eLabels still to be created, but the app is available for iphone and Samsung Galaxy users, from eLabel, and is free of charge.


Go to www.eat-in.co.za for more food news and ideas.