Seeds of Change

How ethical is Seeds of Change?

Seeds of Change is a brand owned by Mars Inc. which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Pasta, Pulses & Rice Ratings Table. Although Seeds of Change has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in Seeds of Change 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 Ethical Pasta, Pulses & Rice sector.

What does Seeds of Change do?

Seeds of Change was founded in 1989 to make organically grown seeds available to gardeners & farmers and preserve heirloom seed varieties from being lost to modern agriculture.

In which areas does Seeds of Change perform poorly?

Seeds of Change was marked down under our criteria for GMO as its parent company, Mars Inc, states that it believes GMO ingredients are safe to use. Mars Inc continues to fund animal testing and is under pressure from PETA to change its stance.

Mars Inc donated over $515K in recent election cycles so Seeds of Change gets a poor rating for this criterion. Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Seeds of Change’s record

Seeds of Change parent company, Mars Inc, received a ‘D’ rating in Rainforest Action Network’s 2022 report which assessed brands on their efforts to address their part in deforestation. This was also flagged in a report by Mighty Earth in the same year, which stated that Mars Inc had not made good on its previously stated commitments to end deforestation in West Africa.

In 2021, a report from As You Sow gave Mars Inc a poor score of 6 out of 27 for risks associated with synthetic pesticides in agricultural supply chains.

In which areas does Seeds of Change score well for its ethics?

Seeds of Change’s parent company, Mars Inc, has a Sustainability Plan with targets for carbon emissions, water and packaging, which also includes evidence of progress. The Mars Inc website also presents additional targets on its ‘Building a Healthy Planet’ section, so Seeds of Change gets a good score for its Environmental Report.

We found no criticisms of Seeds of Change relating to Nuclear, Fossil Fuels or Armaments so it scores well for these criteria.

How can Seeds of Change improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Seeds of Change is awarded on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Pasta, Pulses & Rice Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Seeds of Change has some issues to resolve, including  its use of GMO ingredients, and support for animal testing. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Seeds of Change 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, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.