Bluewashing: Report flags how corporates have wormed their way into global food governance

Source: The post is based on the article “Bluewashing: Report flags how corporates have wormed their way into global food governance” published in Down To Earth on 28th April 2023

What is the News?

The International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems has released a report titled “Who’s tipping the scales”.

The report has highlighted the visible manner in which corporate takeover of food governance systems is taking place.

According to the report, partnerships between corporates and intergovernmental bodies like the UN creates conflicts of interest and allows the corporates to blue-wash or social-wash their reputations.

What is Bluewashing?

Bluewashing refers to a deceptive form of marketing in which an enterprise uses deceptive marketing techniques to overstate its commitment to responsible social practices. 

It can be used interchangeably with the term greenwashing but has a greater focus on economic and community factors rather than the environment.

What is the origin of the term bluewashing?

The term bluewashing was first used to refer to companies who signed the United Nations Global Compact and its principles but did not make any actual policy reforms. 

Referring to the colour of the United Nations flag, bluewashing came to mean that some participating companies were using the Global Compact to improve the public perception of their values, social programs, and governance practices without introducing any real changes or reforms.