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The use of sustainability related labels has grown over the last three decades and have been multiplied in
an exponential way. The catalogue ecolabelindex.com nowadays inventory a total of 457 ecolabels in 246
countries. Despite these efforts, surveys (Klaus G.Grunerta Sophie Hiekeb Josephine Willsb, 2013) made
among consumers on food products show that the level of use of sustainability labels is still low and that
although they can guess their meaning, consumers have limited awareness of sustainability labels,. As the
use of labels is fundamental to highlight the quality of a product, and in particular its effort to be more
sustainable, it is still necessary to increase communication and pedagogy on the existing labels to explain
their meaning to the consumers so they are able to chose a product with full understanding on what is
behind this product.

2.3 Major labels of sustainability in the European territory

In this section, we will present you some of the most common labels of sustainability that we can find in
European territories. This list is far from exhaustive, are there are also numerous small labels that evidence
the sustainability and authenticity of local or regional products.

This label is one of the most internationally used
label for sustainable products. It certifies that the
product has been produced without child labor
exploitation, with decent wages and gender equ-
ality, under the following common principles that
are considered in all Fairtrade standards applicable
to small-scale producers and workers and their
organizations: social, economic and environmental
development and prohibition of forced labour and
child labour.

Created in 2000 by the European Commission,this
organic farming label enable producers to demon-
strate that their products comply with established
Community legislation. That is to say, that the
products that bear this green label are 95% issued
from ecological production and, therefore, that all
their ingredients are natural and that they respect
the environment.

The GRS is a comprehensive, voluntary, interna-
tional product standard that sets requirements for
third-party certification of recycled content, chain
of custody, social and environmental practices, and
chemical restrictions.