New Consumers International project to give poorer consumers a greater voice in India, Bangladesh & Indonesia

Consumers International is excited to announce it will be working on a new project with some of its members in India, Bangladesh and Indonesia to address the need for low income consumers to access safer and more sustainable products. The IKEA Foundation, who believe in safer, healthier homes for children to grow up in, is funding this Consumers International project.

Photo of a local community taken during our project in Tamil Nadu state, India

In many low income countries, the market prevalence of poor quality, unsafe and environmentally unsound products and services has a detrimental effect on consumers’ ability to make safer and more sustainable consumer choices. This situation is exacerbated by a lack of access to information and support to enable families to make informed choices, restricted choice due to limited income and other factors. This project will seek to empower low income families in the chosen regions to access selected household products that can help them improve their health and wellbeing.

Working with some of its members in India, Bangladesh and Indonesia, Consumers International will build a scalable model to understand consumer behaviour; facilitate product assessment; advocate for business and policy change; and empower low income consumers to assert their rights in the marketplace. Members will provide crucial local delivery support and help us engage with the relevant stakeholders in each project area.