Environmental roles in food and retail

How does the environment fit into food and retail?

While these may not seem like obvious sectors in which to begin an environmental career, the food and retail industries are key players in meeting the ever-increasing demands of green consumers. Today, shoppers aren’t just concerned about the quality and cost of products. We want to know where they come from, and whether they have been produced and shipped in an environmentally responsible way.

Turn organic and fair trade products into a graduate career

Organic products are particularly popular as organic foods and materials are generally thought to benefit consumers as well as farmers. It is in the best interest of a company to invest in sourcing green products, as it will ensure that they attract the ever-growing number of green consumers.

These products also have a higher mark-up in the pursuit of fair trade for farmers which means greater profits for the shops. The Fairtrade mark is officially vetted, so as the demand for fairly traded products grows, so does the foundation that approves the use of the familiar logo. No specific degree is asked for but those with a design background are among the desirable graduates. An entry-level job pays around £20,000.

Make a difference to a company’s buying ethics

Buying and trading are job areas worth investigating but you’ll need to check the ethics of the company to find out if the job will involve or has scope for fair trade as it is unlikely to be spelled out in the job title. A degree is not specifically required as most companies will employ you to start at the bottom and work your way up, but it will show your commitment.

Emphasis is placed on specific skills such as negotiation, numerical ability, confidence, communication and decision-making. Large retail chains tend to have graduate recruitment schemes open to graduates from any discipline, so you can enter fair trade buying through this route and can expect your starting salary to be around £23,000. Progress to a permanent job as a junior buyer and you will earn around £25,000. Senior buyers in retail often earn in excess of £50,000.

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