I don't feel like I'm asking for the fucking moon here.
At some point IMO people need to grow up and recognize that there's a GULF between the world people say they want, and the one they insist on creating. Assuming that your money follows your stated intentions, you're part of a small minority that truly cares about this to the extent that they're willing to pay for it.
For every person who goes to Whole Foods and checks the labels, there are thousands of people who go to Wal-Mart or Costco and the only thing they check is the price.
Unless you're literally flying over to vet suppliers yourself, there's practically nothing you can do as a consumer to guarantee you're not being lied to.
Frankly, maybe this is an opportunity for an OSINT org. Just as soon as they stop having all these wars of aggression with professional misinformation campaigns to focus on, of course.
The problem is the information asymmetry: a consumer can't know if the word "sustainable" indicates sustainable practices, or is just ink. That's where regulation ought to step in, but of course, waves at current political turmoil…
If you're going to line your coffers by selling things to us, then we get to decide things like whether you get to use slave labor, whether you get to adulterate it with pollutants, whether you get to lie about its contents, etc.
That way people can pick the cheapest product and receive something that isn't completely horrific. We already kinda have this, but your comment just supports the need for it.
At least you're thinking about the issues, and seem to care, so thanks for that.