Cultural Appropriation and Greenwashing: When Will It End?
It is not limited to industries we know are not green or sustainable such as the oil, gas and fossil fuel industry. The food industry is becoming saturated with ‘Greenwashing’ campaigns. As western societies (namely USA, Europe and the UK) move toward plant based diets, the attitudes usually associated with plant based diets - such as having an environmental consciousness extending beyond diet, avoiding leather, choosing companies that are kind to people and the planet - are not being adhered to.
Is it not enough to follow a plant based diet when the company you are supporting with capital has negative impacts on marginalised communities and on the planet. Historically, these communities have been following plant based diets inherited from their ancestors for centuries. The communities in reference are marginalised and often are women, people living in the Global South and people that are non-white.
These plant based diets have been adopted by many in Western societies as ‘trendy’. Often following a social media influencer as a way to loose weight or an attempt to make money through influencing campaigns such as can be seen through Kim Kardashian. Many people are inspired to follow her diet as a way of achieving her figure. Similarly. her sister Kourtney Kardashian publishes dietary information through her social media and her lifestyle magazine Poosh. These influencers make a lot of money through sharing their diets, as do the companies that use the plant based diet ‘trend’ to create new products to appeal to their audience.
People with a large social media platform have been called out for stealing authentic recipes from other smaller accounts. Stolen recipes are usually ones inherited from an individual’s family. Influencers then repost these recipes for their followers, often using sponsored products within the recipe. They are being paid and credited for republishing someone else’s recipe, which is often very personal to that person and their family. They also often westernise the ingredients, calling them bizarre names and neglecting to give information about the dish. This albeit is down to ignorance. Chrissy Teigan has been accused of this many times, as recent as 2019 and 2020, during the release of her cookbooks. With around $12 million in sales and the possibility of stolen recipes, it is grossly wrong.
McDonald’s is a place we have all been; they are an enormous company and they are making billions a year. However, their cruelty to animals, people and the planet is incomparable. The attempt to greenwash their company is atrocious. From paper straws, plant based options, to ‘ethical’ or ‘sustainable’ beef, their attempts at greenwashing the McDonald’s brand are pathetic. But why do they still have customers and sales? Loyalty to such brands is built into people’s personal experiences of daily activities and special occasions. Such as hashbrowns and a McMuffin when hungover, or a Happy meal at a birthday party. It is simply hard to break the ties with something that is so established in people’s lives. But they are profiting off the exploitation of animals and their employees through greenwashing.
They are not alone, KFC, Burger king and Subway are similarly among the worst fast food chains that participate in destroying our planet. All of which now have plant based options. Cashing in on individuals that are trying to have a lesser impact on the environment.
Considering the amount of animals they slaughter, they require large spaces of land. The Union of Concerned Scientists (USC) carried out an evaluation of the top fast food companies (Globally) to measure their impact and ability to stop deforestation and destruction of land. All the named companies, plus others lacked any coherent policies that ensure their products aren’t causing deforestation or destruction of land.
This evaluation was focused on areas in South America. People in the global South are disproportionately affected by climate change which has been accelerated by capitalism. The heads of such companies are aware of the damage they are doing. They are also aware of the changes they can and must implement. Yet there has been no change. We must demand it. By boycotting the companies that aren't striving toward change, in order to get climate justice.
Activists and indigenous people that have been protecting spaces in South America from deforestation have been killed and are constantly intimidated and harassed by big businesses. The racism and colonialism these individuals face on a daily basis in the name of capitalism is abhorrent.
The deforestation that occurs in South America is often for animal agriculture and for soy production. The soya industry has increased dramatically to meet demands for the meat and dairy industry. Production of soy has quadrupled in the last 20 years in Brazil. Only 7% of the globally produced soy is used for human food products, whilst 77% is used to feed livestock (meat and dairy industry). It seems we are still a long way from reducing the harms the agriculture industry has on the planet and people.
Deforestation in place for agriculture usage by such companies is having a significant impact on climate change. Thus disproportionately affecting people living in the Global South, Women and people that are non white. This is all for capital gain, most of which is being committed by western companies. Heads of these companies are mainly made up of white cis gendered men, in that position often through inherited wealth. Most companies have the same parent company, with a few single individuals owning most of the existing businesses within the world. For example Burger king is owned by Restaurant Brands International, which is owned by 3G Capital. Among others, they also own Kraft Heinz, Tim Hortons and Popeyes, giving 3G Capital a multi-billion dollar empire.
There is an assumption of freedom of choice in the market, especially when choosing products based upon how they affect the environment. Given the levels of greenwashing and the ultimate goal of all businesses is to increase their capital. With no consideration of the result on the planet or for people, we cannot place any faith in their apparent attempts to do any good.
By boycotting companies that hold no ethical values, or have stated their values but do not come close to upholding them, they will have to listen and change. Or they might not, and that is something we will have to accept in time. In the meantime do not give your capital to them. In order to achieve climate justice and justice for people we must be anti capitalist in the face of destructive companies. At this level, there is no way to gain capital without the exploitation of people or destruction of the planet. Cultural appropriation committed by influences must end. People have to stop profiting from other peoples’ stolen cultures only because they meet the western beauty standards that companies think sells a product. We must, where we can, hold those at the top accountable and compel them to make changes. These few individuals are the biggest threat to forward thinking and climate justice.
Fiction and Poetry
Written by Carys Hopkins
Carys, twenty two, Welsh (Newport S.Wales), she/her, I work as a pharmacy assistant and am currently interested in but not limited to - environmentalism, climate justice and anti-racism/anti-colonialism.