Underlying the business activities of Essential Living Foods are standards by which the sources of natural products are evaluated. ELF evaluates its sources of products against guiding standards of Conscious Consumerism.

The goal of Conscious Consumerism is to provide people an opportunity to purchase products that are benefiting people and the environment. The Conscious Consumer logo indicates that the source of the product is working to protect human health and natural resources, solving environmental problems, and treating workers fairly.

ELF strives to source products that:

          Conserve Natural Resources

1. Produce products without using pesticides, herbicides, or other toxic chemicals, or are making efforts to eliminate these chemicals.
2. Participate in regional ecosystem conservation programs.
3. Conserve water and energy to maximum extent possible.
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   Restore Habitats
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4. Reduce erosion of soils & rebuild soils.
5. Utilize integrated crop management and promote diverse multi species, multistory restoration.
6. Protect riparian areas, reduce water pollution, and restore aquatic ecosystem health.
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   Enhance Community Development
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7. Provide higher prices for organic products and fair wages and healthy and safe working conditions for workers within the local context.
8. Improve environmental health conditions for workers' communities.
9. Share the benefits and lessons of Conscious Consumerism with other communities.

In order to support the goals of Conscious Consumerism, ELF invests in the farmers, cooperatives, and communities producing the products to address the issues underlying Conscious Consumerism. In addition, ELF partners with NGOs (non governmental organizations) that work with farmers and their communities on issues related to our Consious Consumer goals. ELF and the NGOs assist local growers with applying the principles of permaculture to the development of local natural products industries to improve economic, nutritional, and environmental health conditions for local people, strengthening the relationship between ELF and local communities.

By purchasing products bearing the Conscious Consumer logo, consumers and manufacturers are directly supporting sustainable agriculture practices and are helping to drive conservation and social development.