Show extra affection this Valentine's with the gift of fair-trade chocolate.
Look for this on packaging to tell if something is certified fair trade. |
Child labor is cheep. Families desperate for money will send their children, as young as ten or eleven years old. It is not that the cacao farmers are cruel people, they just don't get payed enough. The makers of the documentary Black Gold found out that the average American coffee drinker will pay as much as $2.90 for a cup of coffee. Coffee bean farmers would have to sell 20 kilos, enough to brew 1,600 cups of coffee to make the same amount. Cacao farmers have similar problems.
Another logo to look for when shopping fair trade. |
2.) Go Reverse Trick-or-Treating. Next halloween, don't just get candy, go go reverse trick-or-treating! Hand out samples of fair trade chocolate as you make your rounds, and a card explaining reverse trick-or-treating.
3.) Take Action! Start your own youth group to help poor cacao farmers in Africa and South America! For tips on starting a club, or to find one already formed, click here.
4.) Get a Pen-Pal. Wanna meet some of the kids working for fair-trade cacao farms? Log onto http://equalexchange.coop/fair-trade-fundraiser-program-pen-pals, and get started!
5.) Host a Fair Trade Bake-Sale. Bake yummy recipes using all organic, fair trade ingredients. Sell the treats with cards attached explaining why they're so special. Donate the money to a charity that helps fair trade farmers or children in need.
For more information, check out these websites:
http://usft.org/
http://www.globalexchange.org/
http://www.equalexchange.coop/chocolate-bars
http://www.equalexchange.coop/cocoa
http://www.raisethebarhershey.org/
Next Month: Cruelty-Free Eggs
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