Boycott non Fair Trade Chocolate!

Ok, just call me another angry person on the internet today, because I'm hoppin' mad.

You see, I read this story a friend posted on Facebook the other day, and it got me to thinking. (Ya gotta hate when that happens.)

You see, most of the chocolate that kids are going to be getting for Halloween is actually a result of forced child labor (See above link for more info. I'm not going to rewrite what she wrote. She said it so well.).

Why is the church not all over this? I have a feeling that if Nestle came out and said they were pro-homosexuality some Christians* would be all over that.

Or, if Hershey's made the statement that they were for "Biblical marriage"** holy rollers would be lining up around the block to support them (like they did for a certain fried chicken joint a few months ago. Do. No. Get. Me. Started.).

So now, when it comes to an industry that has been knows for YEARS to employ unjust labor to provide us with junk food, we are SILENT!

(Flames shooting out of ears.)

I really wonder what God would have to say about that. Oh Wait. He already did -

"Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully." - Prov. 28:5

"The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern." - Prov.  29:7

"Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." - Isaiah 1:17

There are tons more, but you get the picture.

I will be the first to admit that I don't like to be controversial or come off as judgmental. I don't want to make people feel bad, but that is a fault of mine, because the Bible clearly calls for believers to fight for justice.

I know that I can't abolish slavery by just boycotting chocolate. I know that I do not have a big enough circle of influence to get  the chocolate industry to even notice.  I also know that I have readers who are married to pastors. I know that I have readers who go to seminary and have professors and connections to other pastors. I know that each one of you has some sort of circle of influence you can use to get the word out. Ripple effect, ya know? Maybe someone who reads this today knows a guy who knows a guy who knows a super influential pastor at a megachurch?

What if all of you readers get hopping mad, and you write on your own blogs that you'll be boycotting non Fair Trade chocolate? What if you share it as your Facebook status and tell your Sunday School class and your Mom's group and your neighbors and your coworkers? What if you tell all the moms with kids who come to your house on Halloween night? Yea, people might think you're a little nuts, but we already know what Jesus has to say about being weird for doing the right thing.

I don't have much influence. This little blog has a couple hundred readers maybe, but I can't not use what influence I have to inspire others to be an agent of change.

But what about all of the other industries that employ slave labor?
I know that slavery is everywhere, believe me. I wish I didn't. I'm just thinking here, though, that if we Christians, who proved with "the 'eat more chicken' incident" that there are enough of us out there to be influential, used that power to fight for justice. Add to that number the people who didn't care to take part in that little display, and we could really have an impact, you know? What if we take 'em down one at a time? Chocolate, coffee, sugar....ok, I'm dreaming big here, but I can't help it.

*Please note that I am a Christian, I love the church and Christians, but we have some serious issues to address here. If you are not religious, please, still take this message to heart. I aimed this post at fellow believers because I hold Bible believing Christians to a higher standard since the Bible is so clear on issues of social justice.
**I'm not even going to tell you how I feel about gay marriage because that is not the issue here. Don't get sidetracked from the real issue!

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Ethics at the grocery store part 2: Decoding your coffee label

So I talked a lot on Wednesday about my convictions in regards to shopping in our home. It's not always fun, but I can't ignore them.

I first heard of Fair Trade certified foods when I was in college, around the time I started working at the natural foods store near my school. I learned that most coffee farmers are little more than indentured servants, working year in and year out growing coffee, only to be payed less that what it cost them to produce the coffee. This puts them into a cycle of debt that they can't even begin to dig themselves out of. Most of the cost of our coffee goes to pay middle men who buy the coffee from the farmers, then raise the price exponentially to sell it to our major coffee companies. It's not just coffee, either. I've seen fair trade certification on sugar, chocolate, tea, and even bananas.

Since my first meeting with the Fair trade logo, which looks like this, by the way -

-I've seen all kinds of logos. I've seen Fair Trade, Fairtrade, Direct Trade, Whole Trade, and Rainforest alliance certified. I used to just think to myself "Well, it's better than nothing." and buy the product, not knowing what exactly I was supporting. I've finally decided to do some research and share it with my readers here. Which one is best? Well, I guess that depends on what your priorities are. Are you looking for farmer-friendly? environmentally friendly? tasty?

Fair Trade: Fair trade certified products, which have the logo pictured above, cover a few different bases in terms of being ethically produced and traded. Farmers must follow environmental and social standards, and they are in return promised a well-regulated minimum for their coffee. The downside is that there are no regulations regarding quality, and there is a cost to a farmer who wants to become Fair Trade certified. Some smaller farmers cannot afford this fee.

Fairtrade: This is basically the same thing as Fair Trade, it is simply the global term used to refer to Fair Trade. If you purchase an imported product, it may have this label. 

I know that Wal-Mart has a Sam's choice brand of coffee that is both Fair Trade and very affordable. I can't vouch for the taste, I don't think I've ever tried it.

Direct trade: With Fair Trade, there is a set of regulations that is the same for every coffee grower and buyer must be followed for certification. Direct trade (which doesn't have a logo) differs from this in that each buyer makes a deal with a specific coffee grower, and the agreement may be different for each buyer and seller. This means that you may want to do some research before settling on a direct trade brand, to make sure that the trade agreement is indeed fair. However, this is a pretty good bet because the "middle man" has been cut out. Hence the name "Direct Trade". Direct trade agreements are usually geared more toward specialty coffee companies or shops that want to focus on quality and wish to have a more direct connection with the coffee they sell. This is a good bet for people who are more picky about the quality of their Cup 'a Joe. I know Target carries a store brand direct trade coffee, but the options are limited. I haven't tried this coffee, either.

Rainforest Alliance Certified: With Rainforest alliance certified products, the farmers are given incentives to practice sustainable, earth friendly farming. There is no minimum buying price guaranteed, so this certification is more about protecting the environment than civil rights. It is also interesting to note that a product only has to contain 30% Rainforest alliance certified coffee beans to earn the label. While better than nothing, this label doesn't seem to carry much weight. Lipton teas are Rainforest alliance certified.

Whole Trade: If your coffee carries the "Whole Trade" guarantee, first of all, it must have come from a Whole Foods market. In order to earn a Whole Trade label, a coffee must meet all standards of a Fair Trade product, plus Whole Foods Market's standards of quality. This may be the best of all worlds because Fair Trade standards provide for the coffee grower and the environment, while the additional quality stipulations by Whole Foods make sure that you're getting a good cup of coffee. The last bag of coffee I bought carried the Whole Trade label, and I must say, it was some of the best coffee I've ever tasted. 

I've found that none of these products run much more pricewise than their non-certified counterparts, when we're talking about coffee. When I start looking at sugar, tea, and chocolate, the gap widens significantly. I haven't found a good alternative for these things, so we use them sparingly. We are mostly using honey and molasses to sweeten at our house now, and we buy chocolate as an occasional treat. I use a lot of tea making kombucha, and haven't found a consistent source for tea that has a certification other than Rainforest Alliance.

Do you know of any other certifications? Do you have any good sources for affordable fair trade products? 

Also, as a side note, how do you keep your coffee tasting fresh? We don't drink much coffee around here, so our bag always ends up going bad before it runs out. I'm currently keeping it in a sealed glass container in our fridge, and that seems to work ok, but not great.

This post was shared at Real Food 101, Traditional Tuesdays, Fat Tuesday, Simple Lives Thursday, and Fight Back Friday.

Ethics at the grocery store Part 1: The Why

I know that the Holiday season is coming up, and I'm not really sure that this little mini-series is much going to put you into the spirit. It is what's been on my mind a lot lately. Maybe it's because, with all of the fun and fellowship that comes with the holidays, there is a disturbing level of consumerism that permeates the season, as well. Regardless as to why, I hope you'll take some time to consider the info in my next two posts.

I like to consider every dollar I spend a vote. A vote for the product I'm purchasing and everything that was involved in producing and delivering that product to me.

Or maybe I should say I don't like to consider every dollar I spend a vote, but I have to. To be honest, it would be much easier to live in ignorance of how that product was made and how it got to me. Then, I could buy whatever I wanted without giving a second thought about the hands that made it and the life of the person that is attached to those hands.

However, I call myself a Christian, and I can't seem to find a verse in the Bible that says: 

"Turn a blind eye to the injustices around you and continue to invest in those things that are responsible for that injustice. 

Unless, of course, its easy or convenient or makes you feel good."

Instead, I find verses like this one:

 ⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: 
to loose the chains of injustice 
   and untie the cords of the yoke, 
to set the oppressed free 
   and break every yoke? 
⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry 
   and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— 
when you see the naked, to clothe them, 
   and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 
⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn, 
   and your healing will quickly appear; 
then your righteousness^[a] will go before you, 
   and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 
⁹ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; 
   you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I."

 - Isaiah 58 verses 6-9

Ouch. I can't find anything in there about convenience or personal comfort.

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about modern day slaves in America and a few ways Dennis and I try to avoid supporting slavery with our dollar.

Maybe it's because we lived in Guangdong province, China. I can barely go a day without picking up something that says "Produced in Guangdong, China." Or sometimes it will say the actual name of the city we lived in. Our city is sometimes referred to as "sweatshop city."

Maybe it's because of a book I read when I was in college called "The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical." This guy is radical and at times a bit out there, but the book changed my life and I have since been through many copies because I just can't resist giving it away.

Sometimes I wish I'd studied international law, so I could go off somewhere and help those people I feel so burdened for and so powerless to help. 

But, this here is my life, and I have to say that I really do love it.

So, I'll do what I can, spreading the word in my circle of influence and, whenever possible, using my dollars to vote for products that were ethically produced.

In my next post, I'll be getting a little more specific on some ways to do just that. There are a lot of labels out there, "Fair Trade", "Fairtrade", "Direct Trade", "Rainforest Alliance Certified", and countless more. I've done some research and I'll be sharing what each of these terms and more really mean on Friday (after we've all come out of our Turkey-comas).

Is the issue of human rights and modern slavery a new concept for you, or have you been fighting the same battles I have? What are some ways that you choose not to support slavery and sweat shops? Please share, I would love for this to become a discussion we can all learn from.


This post was shared at Simple Lives Thursday and Fight back Friday.

Agriculture slaves in America (Why my backyard garden makes me feel like a hero)

In our house, we try to be very conscious about what our money goes to. We do not want to support any business that does not treat its employees fairly. This task can be so discouraging sometimes, when we have so little information about where what we buy comes from. It really seems impossible, too, when almost everything I buy was made far far away from where I am.

There was quite a stir over Halloween about the immoral practices that Hershey knowingly supports in North Africa. Apparently they find it cheaper and more convenient to buy cocoa beans that were harvested by child slaves. I'm not a huge fan of their chocolate, so that's an easy boycott for me. I do try to shop Fair Trade when it comes to buying coffee, chocolate, tea, and a few other luxuries that are commonly known to be produced by immoral practices. I've also heard of Rainforest Alliance Certified products and Direct Trade products which sound pretty good. I'd like to do more research on the different terms to know which is the best option. I'm willing to pay a little more for these items and have the peace of mind knowing that I'm supporting something good. I have yet to find an affordable option for Fair Trade sugar, though. To be honest, I go back and forth on the sugar because I tend to use a fair amount of it making kombucha and water kefir. I need to either start using less sugar or be willing to fork over another few bucks, I guess.

Also, I have a really hard time buying brand new clothes because I know that many major clothing companies  have their clothes made in sweatshops all over the world. I haven't found a great alternative, though. There are options online and occasionally at Whole Foods Market to buy fair trade clothes, but the prices are steep and there aren't many options. At our home, we choose to buy second hand. This doesn't change how the clothes were made, but it changes the hands our money goes into. Especially if we shop at Goodwill or The Salvation Army, where they hire people who are in need and give some of their proceeds to charity. Not to mention that the prices are great and it's like a treasure hunt every time we shop! Of course, we do end up buying brand new clothes occasionally. It's hard to get around that one all the time. I'm NOT buying second hand underpants...sorry.

Now, the thing that inspired this post was an excerpt from a book I found over on the Mother Earth News website. I never knew that even buying U.S. grown veggies can support slavery. The book is called "Tomatoland." Short name. Life changing message. If you want to read the entire excerpt, go here, but I'll summarize the main points for you in the remainder of this post.

In the book, Author Barry Estabrook investigates the practices of tomato farming in Florida. First of all, most of us can tell the difference between a grocery store tomato and a vine ripened tomato with our eyes closed. The flavor and texture just doesn't compare. It's like apples and oranges almost. Or tomatoes and....icky red balls of mush. So that's no fun, anyway.

Estabrooks tomato journey began when his windshield was almost smashed by a tomato flying off of a truck in Florida. He says the tomato did not burst when it hit the highway, it bounced. Odd. This led him to study these freak tomatoes. He found that modern mass produces tomatoes have far less nutrients than vine ripened locally grown ones, and they are routinely sprayed with at least 100 herbicides and pesticides. Even worse, he discovered that it is not uncommon for illegal immigrants to be the ones harvesting these tomatoes without proper pay or any legal rights whatsoever. Their pay is usually so low that they cannot afford a vehicle and they are forced to live right next to the farm in housing often owned by slumlords. They are charged exorbitant prices to live in trailers we probably wouldn't put our dogs in. I (Sarah) have actually done some migrant missions, and I've seen these trailers. Ten or eleven men in a single wide trailer thats only source of running water is a water hose run through the window. Estabrook says that is not the worst of it, though. He quotes Douglas Malloy, chief assistant United States attorney in Fort Myers as calling South Florida's tomato fields "ground zero for modern day slavery." He says that, in the past 15 years, over 1,000 men and women being held and forced to work against their will have been freed in South Florida, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. There are cases of men and women being locked inside buildings at night with armed guards outside the doors. Some were even in chains. This is not what I think about when I think of a tomato sandwich. This is not something I want to support with my money. Of course, it'll be hard to not buy canned tomatoes or tomato sauce all winter. I'll probably be buying a few. And then, of course, there's ketchup. I know one thing for sure. I'll be growing and canning as many tomatoes as I can next summer now that I know they taste better, they're more nutritious, and no one had to be forced to work in my garden and be chained up at night.

I'll leave you with a few quotes from the end of the excerpt:

"When I asked Molloy [the attorney] whether it was safe to assume that a consumer who has eaten a fresh tomato from a grocery store, fast food restaurant or food-service company in winter has eaten a fruit picked by the hand of a slave, he corrected my choice of words. “It’s not an assumption. It is a fact.”

"It’s a world we’ve all made. And one we can fix."

I don't know about you, but my backyard veggies just got a little tastier.


This post was shared at Monday Mania, Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, Simple Lives Thursday, Fight Back Friday and Sunday School.