Seeds of Change

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The Seeds of Change trademark was created in the 1980s by a small organic seed cooperative from Santa Fe, New Mexico, which set out ‘to help people and future generations improve their lives and enjoy wholesome, natural, chemical-free foods’. Seeds of Change expanded its enterprise in 1996 to include a range of organic soups, cereal bars, pastas and sauces. A year later it was bought by Mars and launched in the UK in 1999.
 

With an annual income exceeding £10 billion, Mars Inc, based in Virginia, is the third-largest private company in the US. With an estimated global advertising revenue of £450 million a year, in October 2007 the company criticised new EU health laws introduced to tackle the growing obesity epidemic, claiming they could be used to restrict advertising.

In 2004 Mars failed to respond to an international petition urging it to include Fairtrade chocolate in its product range.

This article first appeared in the Ecologist December 2007

For ethical and sustainable suppliers of Food and Drink goods and services check out the Ecologist Green Directory here

 

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