CEL letter writing campaign - invest in your ethics

"Write a letter to your investment adviser, bank, pension or mortgage provider this week urging them to ensure that your money is invested in projects that do not harm the environment" says Christian Ecology Link. The campaign has launched a letter-writing campaign amongst its online 'members and friends' readership during National Ethical Investment Week, 14 - 20 October 2012.

A draft letter showing reasons for ethical investment can be seen here: www.greenchristian.org.uk/archives/3773

The campaign is being conducted as part of the LOAF project, principles for food choices that can underpin support for more sustainable agriculture.

"Who we trust with our money has as much impact on farming as what we choose to eat", explains Isobel Murdoch, who was the author of the ethical investment letter. "As one of your customers", the letter reads: "I am writing to express my concern that my investment may be funding areas of agricultural and business activity I believe to be unethical and unsustainable."

It then lists a number of areas that supporters can alter to match their personal concerns, including questions about investment in the companies that market GM crops, pesticides, herbicides and intensively-reared animals. The letter also allows campaigners to express concern over food security and food sovereignty in developing countries, and the continued exploitation of fossil fuels, as this is causing climate change, a significant risk factor for future harvest potentials.

CEL's Information Officer, Jo Abbess commented: "By sowing your ethics, you can harvest moral earnings. But more than that, the returns from ethical investment can prove to be more consistently healthy than short-term high-performing funds."

The LOAF project principles are based on the determination to eat as locally as possible, eat organically as possible, from animal-friendly farms and using Fair Trade.

For more information on the LOAF project see: www.greenchristian.org.uk/resources/loaf

National Ethical Investment Week information can be obtained here : www.neiw.org/