It's very easy to walk through the supermarket making choices on the products that you buy without thinking about the people involved in producing it, or the methods of manufacture. Value for money is often the most important consideration that we have, whether we're buying a tin of baked beans, a washing machine, or a car. Workers are not always guaranteed safe working conditions, or fair payment for their labour, and sometimes the environmental impact of producing goods is overlooked when profits are at stake.

It is getting easier to make ethical choices as more shop are selling this type of product. Sometimes the choices aren't very clear cut. Environmentally friendly products can owned by companies that also produce products that aren't very good for the environment, or they might treat their workers very badly.

• Are you an ethical shopper? Do you buy Fair Trade, or environmentally friendly goods, and how can you tell the good from the bad?

• Do you refuse to buy from companies who put profit before ethical considerations, or do you prefer not to know?

• What is an ethic anyway?

• Does ethical consumerism and the power of the people work? Can boycotting a company on your own ever make a difference?

• What more can we do to make sure our buying is better informed?

Graphic supplied by Community Artist Dr Deckchair Funderlik