15 March marks World Consumer Rights Day, a day to protect the health, safety and economic interests of consumers around the world. It is a reminder that both public institutions and private companies have a responsibility to guarantee these fundamental rights.
The beginnings of consumer protection in Peru
In 1991, through Law No. 25327, Peru enacted Legislative Decree No. 716, "Norms on Consumer Protection". This law gave rise to the National Institute for the Defence of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (Indecopi) in November 1992, by means of Decree Law No. 25868.
Among the fundamental rights of Peruvian consumers are the right to information, to suitability, and to equal and fair treatment. The right to information is extremely important, as it implies that suppliers must provide complete and relevant information so that consumers can make purchasing decisions that not only meet their needs, but also their interests.
The future is: sustainable consumption
The United Nations 2030 Agenda calls for the promotion of sustainable management and efficient use of resources. Of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, number 12 calls for responsible production and consumption; food industry companies thus have a crucial role to play in this transition towards more responsible and environmentally friendly consumption patterns.
Animal welfare and sustainability
In the report "Animal welfare at the heart of sustainability"The FAO/Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection has underlined the need to make animal welfare a priority for sustainability, and recognised that animal production and animal welfare are inextricably linked to ethical, political, economic, environmental and social issues.
In June 2023, Compromiso Verde conducted a survey in collaboration with IPSOS Peru, focusing on Peruvians' eating habits and their views on animal cruelty in the egg industry. The data gave us an overview of our work and helped us structure actions to strengthen our commitment to animal welfare.
Interestingly, some of the findings include:
- 76% expresses concern about animal abuse in the food industry.
- The 76% considers the use of cages to be unacceptable.
- 57% considers the sale of eggs from caged hens unacceptable.
These results show that consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the provenance of their food; and that their purchasing decisions go beyond their needs, being more in line with their expectations and interests.
