Buying organic, boycotting, adbusting, ecovillages, veganism… The many faces of consumer activism have made the marketplace a site of political protest against the excesses of capitalism and the society of consumption.
The idea that citizens could, by uniting their individual efforts, affect harmful tendencies in society goes back to the 18th century. Since then, the movement has only grown and diversified its activities. To social justice causes can now be added crusades for the environment, local supply chains and distribution networks, and fair trade.