Conscious cafes bid for customers

Wellington cafe Memphis Belle, the winner of a late-afternoon lunch crowd, carries all nine badges issued by a local sustainability advocacy group. Photo / Supplied

New Zealand cafes stand to get crowds of patrons flowing through their door if they can show they are greener than their competitors.

Carrotmob, a movement founded in the United States, gets cafes to bid against one another on who will pledge the most to improve the sustainability of their business.

The winner then gets mobbed by customers who want to support ethical consumerism.

Wellington cafe Memphis Belle is looking forward to being swamped with patrons this Saturday, with all the money made between 2.30 and 4.30pm going towards making the cafe more energy-efficient.

Memphis Belle has also pledged to match each dollar with $1.01.

This is the first time a Carrotmob will be held in New Zealand. Previous locations include Berlin, San Francisco, Sydney, Singapore and Toronto.

The event is working with Wellington non-governmental organisation 42 Collective which, with its flagship project Conscious Consumers, accredits cafes with badges when they meet sustainable practices such as using free-range eggs, seasonal and organic produce, Fairtrade-certified sugar, coffee and chocolate, and engaging in recycling.

Cafes need to adhere to four out of nine of these practices in order to be accredited to Conscious Consumers - Memphis Belle has all nine badges.

Conscious Consumers is at present working only with Wellington cafes but will be launched in Auckland in June and the Waikato in July.

Both cities will host Carrotmob events this year.

Carrotmob NZ spokeswoman Connie Nisbet said the movement worked as a reward for businesses who were serious about sustainable practices and who were committed to improving these.

"The Carrotmob idea is to promote conscious consumerism and products and to raise awareness. It is the anti-boycott," Nisbet said.

Conscious Consumers national director Ben Gleisner said the campaign was founded because consumers wanted to know the social and sustainable performance of businesses.

Gleisner said consumers could take confidence in Conscious Consumers' accreditation and auditing process.

Some cafes have had badges taken off them, with some claiming to use free-range eggs in breakfast meals, but using normal eggs in baking, which made up 80 per cent of their egg consumption, he said.

"To gain each badge, you have to pass a reasonable test. A free-range test now is free-range eggs, but in three, four years it might mean free-range chicken and pork as well. We are also encouraging consumers to check up [on cafes].

"From a business side there is a lot of evidence from the US that clearly says conscious consumers are becoming a greater proportion as a group. Businesses that don't think about their brand socially and sustainably will lose out.

"Consumers side with and advocate this movement. Consumers feel empowered that they are able to make better choices. Often there is a what-can-I-do feeling. They can spend their money at a Carrotmob or [accredited] cafes. This is empowering the consumer voice."

Conscious Consumers is also creating a directory for business so they can link themselves with sustainable suppliers.

The campaign wanted to include bars and restaurants in the future, and export the concept, Gleisner said.

Fairtrade New Zealand chief executive Stephen Knapp said the organisation had worked closely with Conscious Consumers to accredit cafes with Fairtrade badges.

"Generally consumers all over the world are becoming more aware and interested in where products are coming from, and want to ensure they are ethical, sustainable and environmentally friendly."

Conscious Consumers planned to launch in Christchurch and Dunedin but has been delayed because of the earthquake.