BioBuy

Inspiration

Water quality. Soil Health. Pollutants, wildfires, and biodiversity. Agricultural land management has far reaching impacts.

The Bad News Human activities are directly and indirectly causing a catastrophic loss of biodiversity, especially in the tropical rainforests - the most delicate and diverse places on Earth. The leading cause of this decline is habitat degradation, driven largely by agriculture and its expansion.

The Good News There are a lot of eco-friendly certification programs out there! Governments, non-profits, and industries set sustainability requirements; and if a business meets them, they get to show off with a label on their packaging! (These are often called "ecolabels.")

When companies meet the requirements of these ecolabels, they help to minimize, and sometimes even reverse, their impact on the environment - and this process is completely driven by consumer demand.

The Ugly News There are a LOT of ecolabels out there - currently there are 202 recognized in the United States today! ^1 Many of these labels are confusing and unclearly described, making it difficult for consumers to choose ethically sourced products, even when they try their best! Moreover, on the producer’s end, it can be difficult to meet the up-front costs of applying for certain ecolabel certifications.

Is it better to buy a product that is Rainforest Alliance Certified, Bird Friendly, or USDA Organic? Is there an "All of the Above'' option?

See what we mean?

Where BioBuy Comes In

Our free mobile app is multi-purpose, accounting for consumers, companies, and producers. Let's break it down.

Consumers There are three main functions BioBuy provides. First, shoppers can use their phone cameras to scan the barcode of a product. The app will let them know if there are any associated ecolabels to feel good about, and at what stores they can find certified alternatives. If the users are so inclined, the app will also direct them to more information about the label, the product, and the company. Additionally, if a consumer can’t find an alternative in the store, our app will notify that store of the customer’s desire for a more eco-friendly selection of products!

The second function is an educational game that reinforces label recognition and understanding of what different certifications actually mean. Points earned in the game can go towards raffle submissions for partner-sponsored prizes!

But that isn't the only way to earn points. The third consumer function allows users to scan their receipts, and earn points for the sustainable purchases they make.

Companies Businesses work hard to earn their ecolabel certifications - and they want to show it! Partnering with BioBuy will allow companies to do just that. When customers are looking for sustainable alternatives to their favorite products, we'll help direct them to our partners' establishments.

Furthermore, providing user prizes in our raffle is a great way for businesses to market their commitment to environmental health and sustainability!

Producers Though producers may wish to adopt more sustainable practices, it can often be daunting to face the high up-front costs that transitions to sustainability often incur. That's why we would use income collected from paid advertising and partner support to provide a grant fund.

Small producers who struggle with making these transitory steps could apply for financial aid to assist in their efforts, making more sustainable options available for companies to provide their customers!

The Research

The tropical rainforests provide an enormous amount of everyday products, especially foodstuffs - and this of course takes a toll on the biome. ^7 There is a growing demand for retail companies to provide environmentally conscious products. Consumers see conscious companies more positively, feel more company loyalty, and trust companies that make the effort. [^2] Furthermore, many of these companies are already engaged in sustainability. The non-profit organization, The Sustainability Consortium, connects partners as diverse as Walmart and The Nature Conservancy to collaborate on transforming industries to be more sustainable. ^3 Further, these ecolabel certifications are in fact effective for promoting environmental and economic sustainability, particularly for large-scale productions. [^4]

Indeed, research has shown that influencing export-oriented agricultural production is more effective at reducing deforestation than policies. [^5] Additionally, another study has found that consumers have the biggest impact on the environment of any sector. [^6]

What's next for BioBuy

Expanding Library With so many ecolabels out there, we can’t get to them all right away. But we will do our best to update our system with more and more labels to help consumers make the most informed decision they can!

New Partners Our model is dependent on connecting with both retailers and producers. The further we can expand our network, the more impact we can have on conservation. And time is running out. Continuing to look for partnerships will help snowball our project in a more timely way.

More Features Our team has a lot of ideas of features to look into as we build our application. As we iron out our possibilities, we’ll continue to update with more helpful tools!

References

[^2]:(Butler, Adam. “Council Post: Do Customers Really Care About Your Environmental Impact?” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 21 Nov. 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/forbesnycouncil/2018/11/21/do-customers-really-care-about-your-environmental-impact/?sh=4a0c32fa240d.)

[^4]:(Bonisoli, Lorenzo, et al. “Benchmarking Agri-Food Sustainability Certifications: Evidences from Applying SAFA in the Ecuadorian Banana Agri-System.” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 236, 2019, p. 117579., doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.07.054.)

[^5]:(Defries, Ruth & Rudel, Thomas & Uriarte, María & Hansen, Matthew. (2010). Deforestation Drive by Urban Population Growth and Agricultural Trade in the Twenty-First Century. Nature Geoscience - NAT GEOSCI. 3. 178-181. 10.1038/ngeo756.)

[^6]:(Ivanova, D., Stadler, K., Steen‐Olsen, K., Wood, R., Vita, G., Tukker, A. and Hertwich, E.G. (2016), Environmental Impact Assessment of Household Consumption. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 20: 526-536. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.12371)