Seasonal Produce - Self Declared is one of the declarations under the Ekko Score Conservation & Environment Standard.
Produce is described as seasonal when it is picked and sold or processed when it is at its peak, without being stored. Seasonal refers to the fact that the produce has completed growing and is in season right now.
Generally seasonal produce is cheaper, fresher and sold closer to home so as not to require transport, storage or chemical treatment to prolong its life or kill potential bugs at border controls. Purchasing Seasonal Produce - Self Declared products means that you are more likely to be eating fresher, tastier and more nutritious food, especially if the produce has ripened on the parent, in the case of a plant. If seasonal produce is purchased locally, you are supporting your local economy and your purchase has limited travel miles emissions.
Seasonal Produce - Self Declared sits in the ECOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS Family under the Environmental Standard: Conservation & Environment of Ekko Score. One set of weighted Ekko Score points are gathered from each Family.
These are the claimable declarations & certifications under the Environmental Standard: Conservation & Environment. Please note that different certifications and declarations may be relevant to each category.
Yes, where the impact of the claim is similar. This is how it works.
IMPORTANTLY, SELF DECLARATIONS ARE GOVERNED BY CONSUMER LAW. IT IS AGAINST THE LAW FOR BUSINESSES TO MAKE FALSE CLAIMS (INCLUDING IMPLIED CLAIMS IN A CONTEXT LIKE EKKO SCORE).
EVEN IF A PRODUCT HAS A FORMAL CERTIFICATION, THAT CERTIFICATION DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ENTIRE INTEGRITY OF THE PRODUCT'S MAKE UP.
An example might be a Handmade, Australian, Certified Organic chocolate that contains Palm Oil. Under Ekko Score, this product would claim Certified Organic and would self declare: Zero Waste Production and Australian made, but could not claim the No Palm Oil declaration. This would mean a lower score under the Conservation & Environment Standard, making the inclusion of Palm Oil clear to potential consumers, without detracting from its other assets.
No product is perfect, but some products are definitely better than others. Ekko Score allows you to make the best decision you can, or to put it another way, the least worst decision. And to make that decision with the confidence of not being green washed. Find out more about how Ekko Score works.