The obvious answers would be to pick the Dutch option which would relatively speaking, be available at the European consumers door-step. But, and here's the catch, the carbon footprint of the Dutch option works out to be six times more than the others, because as everyone know, the Dutch grow their flowers in heated greenhouses.

Ethical buying is most often stumped by what Oscan Wilde said, that “there are more people who the price of everything but very few who know the value of anything”. Exercising their right to choice, most consumers could be persuaded to choose green products as long as they do not cost more, came from accepted or know producers and it does not involve any extra effort to procure or to use them. Meaning, consumers, mostly, are not only cash-strapped but are also short of time needed to invest in the supporting exercise. Joel Makower, the executive editor of Grenbiz.com also adds that packaging continues to woo consumers even if blatantly wasteful. Cheaper, well-packaged options attract consumers like ants to sweet stuff, and there is no guarantee that consumers will act responsibly when the choice is between cheap but relatively unethical purchase and costlier green option.

Now the companies have the hand job of walking the tight rope between green selling and cheap selling. Consumers are notionally attracted to the promises of green purchases but will not loosen their pockets to pick up the stuff if it costs more does not appeal at first sight.

Companies have help from standardisation processes and guidelines to improve their CSR profile. Guidelines came from ILO and OECD as do standards like ISO 14001 (for the environment) and SA 8000 (for human rights). Soften guidance standards like ISO 2006, a social responsibility, are being made available soon,

India will have to come up with answers of its own to build credibility in the global market and to do so it needs only to look inwards. Its traditional approach to corporate philanthropy can provide a good starting point. The experientially proven traditional knowledge base available to Indians, in most quarters will certainly measure up when it ____ to social accountability. India's guiding principle in the business of making profits has been that it has to be looked at in the perspective of welfare for its stakeholders. “Shubh Laabh” which is the ___means that profit must work for all concerned, and must be transparently accountable to the buyer as much as to the seller. Every ledger of any accountant, anywhere in business in India (whether big or small) carries the ________ as its masthead, meaning to lay down he guiding principle of social accountability and the guiding philosophy for all business.

The Bric countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China are acquiring economic muscle, and as their businesses spread, each needs to work out its own priorities in global markets. Most recently, China has had to climb down a notch or two where consumers across the globe have rejected goods procured from China, as these have proven to be either unsafe or downright hazardous, and consumers have given indications that where it concerns children, CSR had better be in place.

The problem that the BRICs are facing is that their single-minded focus on trade expansion leaves little scope for philanthropy and citizenship concerns. However, where NGOs have a say, as in India, pressure towards social accountability is mounting, even as governments are pitching in with their own measures for environmental responsibilities. Eventually, however, BRICS will individually and together redefine CSR to _______country and regional profiles as well as consumer aspirations.

Convergence of interest between various stakeholders is helping to build business and trade partnerships between NGOs involved with poor communities and between NGOs and companies trying to reach consumers across the glue.

Indian Fair Trade Forum is expanding its engagement across both parties and has huge growth potential. This new angle to CSR has to go beyond “feel good” measures _____ to effective outcomes and harden its stand as “soft laws” of voluntary codes to counter past records on its human rights violations.

As Jane Nelson of Harvard University puts, CSR in the coming years will build its profile on “how large corporations steer a sustainable growth strategy in a very complex environment”.