Why it’s hard to be bad in a values-based economy
Today’s economy allows us to choose from and buy a vast array of inexpensive goods that can be shipped to us unbelievably fast. But if we take a moment, step back, and look at the big picture, we see that many of these cheap, accessible goods actually command a high price — to our well-being, our communities, and the health of our planet. Which raises the question: Are these purchases really worth the cost? Is there a better way?
Let’s start with a definition. The current economy is one where the friction between buyers and products is essentially removed. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, the customer can click a button and have a product delivered within 24 hours. The focus is on convenience, speed, and price.
While there are undeniable advantages to this approach, there is also a major problem: It is extremely difficult for a buyer to understand the true impact of their purchases on their community, their planet, and their own life.
When we purchase a product online, we often know nothing about it beyond price, composition, and country of origin. We typically know nothing about the values and manufacturing processes of the companies selling it. Many operate where domestic laws don’t apply and ethics are ignored. If you were to enter a local store and witness unsanitary conditions, abused workers, or illegal health practices, you probably wouldn’t buy anything there. Yet when we shop in big box stores and websites, it is almost impossible for us to know how our purchases were made, how the companies involved treat their employees, or virtually anything else about the values of the people and companies behind our purchase.
It’s relatively easy for an online company to present itself as virtuous, only to abandon those values when nobody is looking — a practice commonly called “greenwashing.” They lower their costs by partnering with overseas manufacturers that pollute freely in their own locales and ignore the impact of working conditions on their employees. This “out of sight, out of mind” approach to business permits these companies to increase profits while falsely claiming an undeserved moral high ground.
Certainly not all companies behave this way, but these days it’s very difficult to know which companies are behaving responsibly and which are not. In short, under the current online system, it’s easy to be bad
It’s time for a new approach — a new, values-based economy and marketplace.
In a values-based economy, buyers work together to determine which companies are making good on their promises. In a values-based economy, customers can align their time, attention and money with the things most important to them. In a values-based economy, a consumer can put their money where their heart is.
And that’s what the Values Movement is all about: making a values-based economy effective, powerful, easy, and meaningful for consumers.
In the Values Movement, every member has the information and tools needed to support companies that match their values. This adds transparency, as members then see how well their values connect with the companies selling products of interest. This is accomplished when members’ values are linked to credible certifications by trusted and vetted Certifiers, increasing their confidence that an entire business — from production to manufacturing to retail, along every point of the supply chain — accurately reflects their values.
Companies are incentivized to transparently act in the manner they profess. Even better, ethical companies are rewarded with increased business, while bad actors are exposed and diminished — at least until they recognize the value of change.
In a values-based economy it’s not only hard to be bad, it’s also a lot less profitable. In the Values Movement, members still experience the convenience they have come to expect, while asserting their humanity as a vital part of their purchasing decisions and of our economy. In a values-based economy it’s easy to be and do good.
