25 alternatives
Bingenheimer Saatgut is a German seed company that sells only open-pollinated, organically grown seed of vegetables, herbs and flowers, to home gardeners and market gardeners. Plants from this seed…
Alternative to seeds from agrochemical groups, bred for industrial farming and sold as hybrids
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ARCHE NOAH is an Austrian association that preserves old and rare varieties of vegetables, fruit and grain, and sells organic seeds and plants of them so that gardeners can grow them and save their…
Alternative to hybrid seeds from the big seed groups that can’t be saved and resown
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Garden Organic is a British charity for organic gardening, and its Heritage Seed Library keeps more than 800 rare and old vegetable varieties alive by sending their seed to members each year.
Alternative to garden-centre seed packets of a few commercial varieties
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An AMAP (association pour le maintien d’une agriculture paysanne) is a group of households that buys part of a nearby farm’s harvest in advance, for a season, and collects a basket each week at a…
Alternative to supermarket vegetables bought at prices that squeeze farmers
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Kokopelli is a French association that sells organic and biodynamic seeds of open-pollinated varieties: more than 2,000 varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers, many of them old varieties no…
Alternative to F1 hybrid seeds from large seed companies, which cannot be saved and resown
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MIRAMAP is the national network of the AMAP (associations pour le maintien d’une agriculture paysanne), groups of consumers who sign a contract with a local farmer, pay for the harvest in advance and…
Alternative to supermarket fruit and vegetables bought from industrial farms and central purchasing
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The Netzwerk Solidarische Landwirtschaft is the German association of community supported agriculture (Solawi): farms whose members pay a monthly share of the farm’s costs and get a share of the…
Alternative to supermarket vegetables from heated greenhouses and long-distance imports
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Dreschflegel is a German group of small organic farms that grow, breed and sell open-pollinated seed of more than 800 vegetables, herbs and flowers, without hybrids or genetic engineering.
Alternative to hybrid vegetable seeds that must be bought again every year
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A cooperative supermarket belongs to its customers: each member buys shares, works a few hours a month in the shop and buys food there at lower margins than in ordinary supermarkets. Only members can…
Alternative to supermarket chains that set prices and margins for their shareholders
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Ethiquable is a French worker cooperative (Scop) from Fleurance, in the Gers, that sells organic fair trade food: chocolate, coffee, tea, juice, rice, sugar, spices and snacks, bought from…
Alternative to supermarket coffee, chocolate and juice from multinational brands
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GEPA – The Fair Trade Company is a German fair trade importer founded in 1975 and based in Wuppertal. It sells coffee, tea, chocolate, honey, cocoa, sugar, spreads and handicrafts bought from…
Alternative to conventional coffee, tea and chocolate brands that pay growers prices below the cost of living
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Lamazuna is a French brand of zero-waste bathroom products: solid shampoos, conditioners, deodorants and toothpastes, washable make-up remover wipes, rechargeable toothbrushes and menstrual cups. It…
Alternative to cosmetics in plastic bottles, disposable cotton pads and single-use razors
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Sonett is a German maker of ecological washing and cleaning products, founded in 1977 near Lake Constance: laundry detergents, washing-up liquid, cleaners and soaps based on plant soaps, sugar…
Alternative to conventional detergents and cleaners from large chemical groups, with petroleum-based ingredients and single-use bottles
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VRAC organises group buying of organic, fair-trade and local food in low-income neighbourhoods of France and sells it at cost price. Members order and collect their goods, in their own containers, at…
Alternative to discount supermarkets as the only option in low-income neighbourhoods
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Quartiermeister is a Berlin beer brand owned by a non-profit foundation: its profits go to neighbourhood projects, chosen by public vote in the cities where the beer is drunk.
Alternative to beer from big brewing groups such as AB InBev, Heineken or Radeberger
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Terra Etica, long known as Café Michel, is a worker cooperative (SCOP) in Pessac near Bordeaux that roasts organic, fair-trade coffee and sells tea, chocolate and sugar bought from small farmers’…
Alternative to supermarket coffee brands such as Carte Noire, L’Or or Jacques Vabre
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1083 is a French brand of jeans, jackets and sneakers made in France, based in Romans-sur-Isère in the Drôme. Its name is the distance in kilometres between the two towns of mainland France that lie…
Alternative to fast-fashion jeans and sneakers made far away under poor working conditions
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Weleda is a Swiss maker of natural cosmetics and anthroposophic medicines, founded in 1921, with its head office in Arlesheim near Basel and its largest site at Schwäbisch Gmünd in Germany. Its…
Alternative to conventional cosmetics with mineral oils, silicones and synthetic fragrances
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Cafédirect is a British Fairtrade coffee company founded in 1991 by Oxfam, Traidcraft, Equal Exchange and Twin Trading, with two coffee producers on its board and a certified B Corp since 2018.
Alternative to Nescafé, Kenco and other coffee from multinational groups
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Écotable is a French label and guide for restaurants that cook with organic, local and seasonal produce, with three levels from “transition started” to “an example for all” and a map of about 300…
Alternative to restaurant guides that say nothing about where the food comes from
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Grüne Erde is an Austrian maker of natural mattresses, beds and wood furniture, with home textiles and cosmetics. Its mattresses are made by hand in Upper Austria from wool, natural latex, coconut…
Alternative to foam mattresses and furniture in chipboard and synthetic glue
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Lemonaid is a Hamburg brand of organic, Fairtrade-certified lemonades that gives 5 cents from every bottle sold to its own charity, Lemonaid & ChariTea e.V., which funds projects in the countries…
Alternative to Coca-Cola, Fanta and other soft drinks from global beverage groups
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NATRUE and Cosmébio are two labels for natural and organic cosmetics, NATRUE common in Germany and across Europe, Cosmébio in France, whose criteria are published and whose products are checked by…
Alternative to “natural” and “green” claims on cosmetics that no one checks
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Ethical Superstore is a British online shop that sells only products with at least one ethical credential, such as fair trade, organic or eco-friendly, from food and cleaning products to clothes…
Alternative to Amazon for gifts, food and household goods
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Yarrah is a Dutch brand of organic dog and cat food, made with certified organic ingredients, including vegetarian and vegan food for dogs.
Alternative to industrial pet food from multinationals such as Mars and Nestlé Purina
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Garden, seeds and biodiversity
Food and community farming
Neighbourhood, community spaces and local networks
Shopping: online, marketplaces and local shops
Work and cooperative economy
Drinks: coffee, tea, wine and beer
Cosmetics and hygiene
Waste, recycling and zero waste
Household and personal care
Donations, volunteering and non-profits
Clothing and mending
Restaurants and food delivery
Furniture and furnishing
Celebrations, gifts and holidays
Pets and pet food