Whole Foods went from a so-called ethical grocery store to just another arm of Amazon’s empire after the 2017 buyout. Prices initially dropped on many items, especially produce, and Prime members got exclusive deals. Over time, some everyday staples and meat have become more expensive. Worker protections have eroded, and the supply chain is now tied to Amazon’s union-busting, surveillance, and data-driven retail dominance. Every purchase still feeds into one of the most harmful corporations on the planet.
Amazon is rated High Impact because its harms are systemic and interlocking.
Environmental Harm: Delivery fleets, aviation cargo, and data centers generate massive emissions and plastic waste, while public pledges mask lobbying against climate regulation.
Human Rights Violations: Workers face surveillance, injury-level quotas, and unsafe delivery speeds. Migrant workers in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere face wage theft and coercion.
Military & Conflict Complicity: AWS is central to surveillance states. Project Nimbus embeds Amazon in Israel’s occupation and war crimes, supplying AI and data services to its military and government.
The result: consumer spending that powers a machine which entrenches inequality, accelerates climate collapse, and sustains state violence worldwide.