Carrotmob is a global movement that is built on the 'carrot-or-the-stick' concept. It rewards -- rather than punishes -- small businesses for employing sustainable practices. Essentially, a Carrotmob is the opposite of a boycott.
"The idea is to support a business because it is doing something good. And you support it by bringing the mob, a lot of people, who are going to consume at this business, and thereby make the profits bigger," says Janne Andresen, one of the organizers of the Buenos Aires Carrotmob, which was the first branch established in South America.
On a recent Saturday afternoon, hundreds of people came to the market -- most for the very first time -- and purchased items. Market managers had previously committed to using portions of their proceeds to expand the size of the market and to make more organic products available citywide.
"The buzz created by the Carrotmob brought in a lot more people than usual. We were very happy to take part in the experiment," says Federico Arce, manager of El Galpon.
The first Carrotmob took place in San Francisco in 2008 and the movement has spread. Since then 55 gatherings have taken place around the globe, from Helsinki to Bangkok.
Typically, organizers approach several small businesses and the one that commits to dedicating the highest percentage of their one-day revenue boost to becoming more environmentally-friendly wins the honor of being mobbed. Liquor stores, cafes, pizza parlors and other businesses have all benefited.
"As citizens and as consumers we may not be able to wield a whole lot of individual power, but when we do things together, our power is ridiculous," says Brent Schulkin, the 29-year-old founder of Carrotmob. "Carrotmob is going to organize our spending. Because we are the economy. We decide who gets rich," he says.
The Buenos Aires Carrotmob was organized by a small group of Argentines and expats through their nascent ecological activism group called Ambientate.
