Browse Mars Brands

Attributions, Methods, and Inspirations

In this section, we cover some details regarding how Boycott Buddy was created. To provide some background, Boycott Buddy is the follow up project to FuckNestlé.art, a Nestlé boycott tool launched in 2023. This tool was widely used and shared, and people asked for a more detailed and broad project to document and help people avoid mega-corps — hence leading to the creation of Boycott Buddy.

Attributions

Boycott Buddy is designed and developed by Zachary Jordan. The logo design was created by Eugene Kim. Brands and corrections are reported from around the world by users of the site. Icons are provided by HeroIcons.

Methods

Boycott Buddy would not be possible without the public contributions made by thousands of committed people from around the world to document the crimes and companies of mega-corporations. To form our database, Boycott Buddy surveys and combines existing open source lists. The early stages often begin with crowdsourced lists such as those available on Wikipedia.

We then visit corporation websites, which often avoid offering a clear and easy to browse list, and fill in missing companies. From here, we browse other public information such as community posts, online company databases (such as barcode lists), and news of recent acquisitions or sales.

Once we have collected as much information as is publicly available as possible, we then vet our list and confirm that it is as up to date as can be achieved before categorizing. This is a continuous process and one that we rely on the community to support with. To fill out our database over time, we provide a mechanism to our users to report missing companies, which are then also verified and added. The result we are pursuing is a growing list that evolves over time to document the current status of these companies.

This process is handled manually by our team and people who offer to help with the project. AI technologies, such as those offered by Open AI, are sometimes used to assist with the copywriting process but is not involved in brand discovery.

Some brands may be missing from our list. All views are my own and do not represent my employer or anybody else.

Inspirations

The initial project that inspired the precursor to this one (FuckNestlé.art) is a project called PeopleCott by Charles Stover. It's sadly no longer active, but I'll include a link to it here in case it ever comes back.

Edit July 2024: I just noticed PeopleCott is back, so the link actually should be working again. Thanks Charles!

I'm also inspired by long history of successful boycotts against mega corporations — let's continue this tradition of pressuring some of the most powerful organizations on Earth to do better by their consumers and our shared planet!

I'm done reading

WHY BOYCOTT Mars Inc?

Mars Inc, a colossal player in the global market, is not exempt from the harsh realities of unethical business practices, despite its vast reach. This corporation has been repeatedly implicated in grave issues such as the use of child labor in its supply chains, significant environmental degradation, and a pattern of making ethically questionable decisions.

These practices are not just corporate missteps; they have real and devastating impacts. From exploiting young workers to contributing to ecological damage, Mars, Inc.'s actions have consequences that extend far beyond its corporate borders. A boycott of Mars, Inc. could help pressure the company to reform its practices towards a more ethical and sustainable model. Click on an issue to delve deeper and understand more.

Using child labor

Mars Inc, which presents itself as an ethical and wholesome provider of popular candy, is currently embroiled in serious allegations regarding child labor violations in its supply chain. A CBS News special report has exposed that children, some as young as five years old, are laboring in fields in Ghana to supply cocoa to Mars. These children are reportedly involved in harvesting cocoa beans, a crucial ingredient in Mars products like M&M's and Snickers. The use of such young children, especially in hazardous conditions involving tools like machetes, has drawn significant criticism and legal attention

In response to these allegations, Mars Inc. has publicly reiterated its commitment to eradicating child labor from its supply chains. However, the effectiveness and sincerity of these commitments are under scrutiny. A lawsuit filed in November 2023 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia alleges that Mars Inc., along with other major food companies, has done little to address the ongoing and severe issue of child labor in their sourcing plantations. This lawsuit suggests that the problem is both pervasive and longstanding, implicating Mars in the worst forms of child labor practices

The legal and public backlash Mars Inc. is facing serves as a critical reminder of the ethical responsibilities companies have in ensuring their operations do not contribute to human rights abuses, especially those involving vulnerable children.

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Climate damage

Ethical shortcomings