Stock your cupboard with ingredients you can trust not just for taste but for the people and communities behind them.
Suma has been filling kitchens with organic, natural and fair trade food since 1977. Their mission is simple: good food, done fairly. From cupboard staples to speciality items, they focus on sourcing responsibly and supporting producers who share their values.
A different kind of food business
What sets Suma apart is their structure. They’re a worker owned co-op, meaning there are no bosses and everyone is treated equally. Suma is Europe’s largest equal pay co-op, built on principles of fairness, integrity and sustainability.
That difference matters. It means the people who make the business work are the same people who benefit from it. Not just shareholders or external owners.
Transparent supply chains you can trust
You don’t have to guess where your food comes from. Suma keeps their supply chains transparent and prioritise working with other co-ops and likeminded ethical producers whenever possible.
So, when you choose Suma, you’re choosing a brand that has already done the research for you and that’s a rare thing in today’s food market.
A small step towards a fairer food system
Suma isn’t just about selling food, they’re about supporting a fairer, more sustainable world. Every item is a small vote for better farming, fair pay, and ethical sourcing.
If you want store cupboard staples that do more than just feed you, Suma is a simple way to make your everyday food choices more ethical, without compromising on quality or convenience.
Have you come across a product on Natural Collection you didn’t think was quite in line with our values? Natural, ethical, sustainable, eco-friendly… these unassuming terms mean lots of different things to different people, and it’s impossible to settle on a single definition that’ll satisfy everybody. We value transparency and honesty above all else, so here’s a quick overview of how we decide what brands to stock.
It would be great if everything we stocked satisfied all of these conditions, but that’s just not possible. No product is perfect! In striving to bring you a wide range of products, it’s inevitable that they will meet different ethical standards in different ways.
Certification
Organic tea
When you think “fair trade”, you probably think of the Fairtrade Foundation and their reassuring Fairtrade mark. There’s certainly a lot of value in ethical products being so clearly signposted. But Fairtrade certification is expensive and often inaccessible to the smaller businesses we like to support. Organic certifications can be equally difficult to procure. So we’ll flag up those credentials when they’re present, but we’re also diligent about forming close relationships with trustworthy brands who prioritise transparency.
Animal welfare
Vegan pet food
Almost everything we sell is vegetarian friendly – the only exceptions are pet food and seafood. We do also stock vegan pet food, but it’s a widely debated topic and we feel it’s best to let you decide what’s best for your pets.
Our seafood products are supplied by Fish4Ever, who uphold extremely high standards of sustainability, including pole-and-line fishing for tuna to eliminate by-catch. In a huge market dominated by poor sustainability practises, we believe this is a valuable alternative to offer.
Animal welfare issues don’t stop there. We don’t stock any products that have been tested on animals, and we never will – that’s a promise. Look out for the Leaping Bunny symbol for extra reassurance that what you’re buying is cruelty-free. You also won’t find real fur, feathers, leather, angora, silk or down in anything we sell.
Eco friendly
Palm oil is a widely used commodity linked to multiple ethical concerns, both environmental and in terms of human rights. Many of the products we stock are palm oil free – but not all. You can be sure that any palm oil found in our products is sustainably sourced and no one in the supply chain has been exploited in the process. This still isn’t ideal by any means, but it’s such a common ingredient – found in roughly half of all packaged goods worldwide – that we feel it’s better to offer sustainable alternatives than no alternatives at all.
Everything we stock is free from GMO ingredients. The possibility of cross-contamination remains an issue, which is where the Non-GMO Project Verified tag can provide extra reassurance with its stringent testing standards.
Empowering you
Ultimately, we believe in keeping you informed so that you can make your own purchasing decisions. That’s why every product is tagged with its ethical credentials, and we strive to provide as much supplementary information as possible – country of origin, nature of packaging materials, etc. In this way, you’re able to make informed choices and Buy What You Believe.
Ethical fashion often comes with a reputation for being expensive. Higher price tags can make it feel inaccessible, especially when fast fashion offers constant discounts and low upfront costs. But when you look beyond the price tag, ethical fashion is much more affordable than it first appears.
Beyond the price tag
Fast fashion prices are low because many of the real costs are hidden. Environmental damage, unsafe working conditions and unfair wages aren’t reflected on the tag.
Ethical fashion does the opposite. The price reflects:
fair wages
safe working conditions
responsible sourcing of materials
less waste
higher quality construction
What looks “expensive” upfront is often just honest pricing.
Fewer, better pieces
Fast fashion encourages constant replacement. Trends move quickly, fabrics wear out, and items lose shape after a few washes. This leads to repeat spending, even if each purchase feels small.
Ethical fashion supports a buy less, buy better approach. Each product typically has stronger seams and better fabrics while collections tend to feature thoughtful design over trends. Plus, individual pieces often work across seasons for longevity.
Quality that lasts
Well made clothing not only lasts longer, it’s also easier to live with. Ethical garments are often:
less prone to pilling or tearing
designed to wash well at lower temperatures
repairable, rather than disposable
That means fewer replacements and less money spent fixing or replacing items that fail prematurely.
Sales that don’t compromise your values
Ethical fashion sales can be a great opportunity to invest in high quality pieces at a lower price. Unlike fast fashion discounts designed to drive overconsumption, ethical sales often reflect responsible stock management and seasonal transitions.
It’s a chance to access pieces made to last.
Ethical fashion isn’t about spending more, it’s about spending differently. When you factor in longevity, cost per wear, and the true cost of production, ethical clothing is often far more economical than it appears.
Choosing less, better made pieces doesn’t just support fairer systems, it makes financial sense too.
