New Good Groceries Guide Helps Consumers Make Better Choices for People, Animals, and Planet

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Today the ASPCA^® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), Food Chain Workers Alliance, GRACE Communications Foundation, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, released the Good Groceries Guide, a digital resource to help consumers buy food that supports a healthier, more humane and fair food system.  

Today’s consumers are increasingly concerned about where their food comes from, and for good reason. The rapid industrialization of our food system has led to widespread problems such as foodborne illnesses, worker exploitation, animal abuse, and environmental degradation.

 “The exploitation of farm animals, food workers and the environment that we see every day in our food system can be overwhelming,” said Daisy Freund, Director of ASPCA’s Farm Animal Welfare Program. “While opting out may seem incredibly difficult, finding food from better sources can often just be a matter of knowing what to look for. The Good Groceries Guide will empower consumers with the knowledge to make every purchase a vote for a more humane, sustainable and accountable food system.” 

The Good Groceries Guide helps consumers differentiate between meaningful and meaningless labels when it comes to animal welfare, health, the environment, and worker treatment. The guide also provides suggestions on how to help reduce food waste, the importance of buying in-season produce, and how to demand more humane, fair, and healthy options at grocery stores, among other topics.

“The food system is the largest employer in the United States, with 21.5 million workers who make up 14 percent of all workers in this country,” said Joann Lo, Co-Director of the Food Chain Workers Alliance. “The problems facing food workers are often intertwined with health, the environment, and animal welfare, and this Good Groceries Guide helps consumers address all of these issues, to the benefit of our communities and our food system.”

“Purchasing locally grown, seasonal foods helps support local farms and maintains farmland and open space in your community,” said Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., Chief Science Advisor with GRACE. “People want to know where their food comes from and how it was produced. The Good Groceries Guide can be a helpful resource.”

“The seemingly small decisions we make in the grocery aisles can have a big impact on the world we live in,” said Jonathan Kaplan, director of the Food and Agriculture program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “From fighting the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections, to conserving water, and curbing climate change—our food choices can make a difference. This guide can help people shop to support a better future for our children and grandchildren—over the holiday season and all year long.”

For more information and to download/access the Good Groceries Guide click here.