Country Life

How ethical is Country Life?

Country Life is a brand of spread owned by Saputo Inc. which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Butter, Margarine & Spreads Ratings Table. Although Country Life has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in Country Life if it submitted itself to apply for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would make further detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvement.

Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Butter, Margarine & Spreads sector.

What does Country Life do?

Country Life is made by blending British Country Life butter with British rapeseed oil so that it is easy to spread straight from the fridge.

In which areas does Country Life perform poorly?

Country Life was marked down under our criteria for Organic due to a lack of certification. It also received a bottom rating for GMOs as the brand’s parent company, Saputo Inc, has a statement confirming its use of GM ingredients. Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Country Life’s record

In 2023 Country Life’s parent company, Saputo Inc, scored Ethical Consumer’s worst rating for its use of uncertified palm oil. In 2022 Saputo-owned Dairy Crest received an enormous fine for its unacceptable environmental performance, and in 2021 Saputo was further criticised for its links to deforestation in Brazil caused by soya farming.

In which areas does Country Life score well for its ethics?

We found no public record criticisms of Country Life relating to Nuclear, Fossil Fuels, Animal Welfare, Political Donations or Armaments, so it scores well for these criteria.

Saputo’s ‘Environment’ page does contain numerous targets so Country Life is awarded a good score for its Environmental Report.

How can Country Life improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Country Life is awarded with on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Butter, Margarine & Spreads Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Country Life has some issues to resolve, including its use of GMO ingredients and lack of Organic certification. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Country Life some guidance to improve on these areas.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our ethical mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to attain Ethical Accreditation, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.