During the last 25 years, there has been debate about the value
of corporate social responsibility (CSR), particularly as it
relates to the rise of “ethical consumers.” These are shoppers
who base purchasing decisions on whether a product’s social and
ethical positioning — for example, its environmental impact or
the labor practices used to manufacture it — aligns with their
values. Many surveys purport to show that even the average
consumer is demanding so-called ethical products, such as fair
trade–certified coffee and chocolate, fair labor–certified
garments, cosmetics produced without animal testing, and
products made through the use of sustainable technologies. Yet
when companies offer such products, they are invariably met with
indifference by all but a selected group of consumers. Is the
consumer a cause-driven liberal when surveyed, but an economic
conservative at the checkout line? Is the ethical consumer
little more than a myth? Although many individuals bring their
values and beliefs into purchasin