Riverford Organic has secured top slot in Ethical Consumer’s latest ranking of supermarkets’ ethical performance.
Using its ‘Ethiscore’ system, Ethical Consumer magazine assessed 19 UK food retailers across 20 different criteria, from environmental reporting to animal testing, company ethics to irresponsible marketing.
Riverford took first place, followed by west country-based sustainable supermarket Christine’s, Brighton’s HISBE, wholesale co-op Suma, Abel & Cole and Planet Organic.
Waitrose is the highest ranked national supermarket chain, while Tesco came in last.
Ethical Consumer explained that all supermarkets reviewed lost marks under ‘animal rights’ because they sold meat, dairy or egg products. It also marks down companies under ‘factory farming’ if they sell meat, poultry or fish that is not certified as organic or free range – as a result all except Riverford, HISBE, Christine’s, Abel & Cole were marked down.
