As conscientious consumers, we have become overwhelmed with alarms about food contamination, over-fishing, clear-felled forests, loss of biodiversity, climate change, chemical pollution, and other environmental and health-related risks. This book is an analysis of a primary set of tools aimed at dealing with these risks: green labels and other eco-standards. The authors address political, regulatory, discursive, and organizational circumstances and raise the questions: how can ecological complexities be translated into a trustworthy and categorical label? Is there a mismatch between the production and consumption of green labels? Is it possible to achieve broad public participation in environmental issues through labelling? This is a timely book that provides a social and policy-oriented analysis of the challenges for green consumerism through green labelling.

Introduction: Green Consumerism, Green Labelling?
The Historical Context Key Trends
Green Labels and other Eco-Standards: A Definition
The Consumers Role: Trusting, Reflecting or Influencing?
Our Cases
Sceptical and Encouraging Arguments
Policy Contexts and Labelling
Three Framing Strategies: From a Complex Reality to a Categorical Label
Organizing the Labelling
Dealing with Mutual Mistrust
Green Labelling and Green Consumerism: Challenges and Horizons

As conscientious consumers, we become overwhelmed with alarms about food contamination, climate change, chemical pollution and other environmental and health-related risks. This book explores green and politically engaged consumersim, asking the question: does green labelling offer ways toward a greener and more democratic society?