just-drinks authors and correspondents

Biography

Ben Cooper is just-drinks' sustainable business editor and specialises in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, policy issues and sustainability. He holds MAs from Cambridge University and the University of London, respectively in Social and Political Sciences and Social Policy.

He joined the just-drinks editorial team in 2000 and today works across both just-drinks and just-food, while also writing occasionally for just-style.

In addition to his regular features, Ben has written numerous in-depth management briefings on issues such as alcohol policy, sponsorship, the Fairtrade market, the use of food colourings and environmental issues facing the clothing industry. He also writes regularly for Ethical Corporation magazine which specialises in the corporate social responsibility field.

He lives in London where he also works as a professional singer.

Columns by Ben Cooper

Sustainability in Drinks

Every month, Ben Cooper casts his eye over sustainability efforts in the global drinks industry.

Articles by Ben Cooper

Biden victory gives new impetus to drinks industry engagement on climate change - Sustainability Spotlight 19 November 2020

Ben Cooper assesses the impact of Joe Biden's election victory in the US on drinks companies' efforts to address climate change.

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Are beverage firms paying enough attention to deforestation? - sustainability spotlight 22 October 2020

A new initiative to address deforestation was launched last month by the Consumer Goods Forum involving 17 major manufacturers and retailers - but no drinks companies. Ben Cooper explores whether the beverage sector needs to do more in the area of deforestation.

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Why alcohol companies must be resolute in their support of responsible drinking bodies - sustainability spotlight 29 September 2020

A recent study alleges industry-funded but independent organisations, set up to inform consumers about responsible drinking, exacerbate harmful behaviours through concealed "dark nudges" exploiting cognitive biases in consumers. Ben Cooper takes issue with serious and unsupported assertions made by the researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, particularly those concerning the crucial role medical professionals play in advising and scrutinising the work of such organisations.

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Why no- and low-alcohol is a good news story but not free from controversy- sustainability spotlight 20 August 2020

The growing sales of no- and low-alcohol offerings have given brewers and drinks companies the rare opportunity to convey a positive health and wellness message, Ben Cooper writes. However, controversy is never far away.

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How COVID has shed light on consumers' complex relationship with alcohol - Sustainability Spotlight 23 July 2020

As traumatic and devastating as COVID-19 has been, the pandemic has at times been revelatory, prompting us all to reassess the value we assign to the low-paid, low-skilled work of a hospital cleaner, the advantages of home-working, the merits of riding a bike or the need to travel by air. Those seeking a better understanding of society's complex relationship with alcohol may also find the events of recent months instructive.

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Why COVID-19 risks further government intervention for drinks - Sustainability Spotlight 18 June 2020

Within a few months, the coronavirus pandemic has dramatically increased the health risks associated with being overweight or obese. This is likely to have implications for the soft drinks sector, Ben Cooper writes, but it is important to stress the emerging evidence is more about the impacts of COVID-19 than about the causes of obesity.

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Could bulk beer shipping be another COVID-19 legacy? - sustainability spotlight 22 May 2020

Ben Cooper looks at how the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic could prompt brewers to look afresh at shipping beer in bulk, with 'bag-in-tank' shipping now offering solutions to longstanding logistical challenges.

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How COVID-19 is prompting a reevaluation of nudge theory in marketing – Sustainability Spotlight 23 April 2020

Applying the thinking that has shaped its obesity policy to the COVID-19 crisis has landed the UK Government in difficulty. During the pandemic, discussion of further anti-obesity measures targeted at soft drinks firms has been further deferred, Ben Cooper writes. How governments address conflicts between commercial freedoms and wellbeing may be up for a thorough re-appraisal as part of the post-COVID-19 reset.

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Could the coronavirus pandemic make for more caring companies? - sustainability spotlight 31 March 2020

Ben Cooper examines how COVID-19 is giving progressive companies the chance to show the ideals of conscious capitalism in action, and how corporate engagement in addressing major global issues, such as climate change and poverty, might be affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

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How weaving sustainability into your business model will generate value - Sustainability Spotlight 27 February 2020

Ben Cooper examines recent announcements from soft drinks producers Coca-Cola European Partners and Britvic that underline how sustainability goals no longer simply inspire companies or earn them green credentials, but have become critical to value creation and business strategy.