IN the wake of the UN climate change report, our need to act fast and change our ways seems undeniable but are consumers ready to make those changes, particularly if there is an added cost to them?

The Consumer Brand, a Community Interest Company (CIC) that recently launched its first product in the UK, put this question to a community of consumers and the answer was a resounding “yes”.

Co-founder, Pascal Hegglin explains: “The Consumer Brand has an open invitation to members of the public to join our community of consumers who determine the key parameters for each of our products.

“These include setting standards required for farming practices and manufacturing processes as well as determining the recommended retail price.

“Consumers can, and in the case of our new flour did, choose to pay more for products sourced using environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural practices.”

The Consumer Brand asked 2,332 people whether environmental issues were important in the production of flour, the first product to be launched in the UK.

The public voted overwhelmingly to pay farmers more to farm sustainably resulting in farmers receiving 32 pence per bag of flour. In addition they agreed to a two pence per bag donation to Nature Friendly Farming Network, an organisation that helps farmers adopt sustainable farming methods that benefit wildlife.

The Consumer Brand is based on a ground-breaking model set up in France five years ago where around 16 million people, more than one in five shoppers, now regularly purchase at least one item produced under the system including milk, flour, eggs, wine, apple juice, honey and pasta.

The Consumer Brand in the UK aims to follow their flour launch with other staple products such as eggs, milk oats and bacon.

For more information visit: www.theconsumerbrand.co.uk to help shape how these are produced, sourced and priced.

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