CSR - Sustainable Fish Needs a Packaging Boost

A new report from the Marine Conservation Society picks up on a point which several AQA Business teachers made during our BUSS4 CSR briefing days back in March 2011. The point was this - how can consumers make a more conscious effort to buy sustainably-sourced products if the product packaging/labelling is inadequate? It was pointed out that consumer awareness of the fairtrade logo, for example, is much stronger than that of the MSC logo which was featured on an M&S Plan A video we watched.

This article from the BBC explains how consumers are not being given enough information on labels to allow them to make the choice to buy sustainable fish, according to conservationists. The MSC appears to be in conflict with the UK retail sector, represented by the trade association (British Retail Consortium). Are retailers doing enough to communicate with and educate consumers? How far should they have to go to provide us with the information we want as consumers? And do most consumers really care when other factors such as price are important buying considerations?