March 2012: Free-Range Eggs

   Eggs: we often consume them every day without realizing where they came from. When asked, we picture an old barn with open fields and chickens walking freely, or at least in a coop. But today, most laying-birds are not so lucky.

1.) Know Your Eggs
   Most cheep eggs from the market are not from free-range hens. This means that they come from birds that are kept in wire cages so small that they can't walk, or even spread their wings. These chickens have the sensitive tips of their beaks cut off to prevent fighting.
   Normally, chickens have what's called a pecking order. This is the hierarchy in which the birds establish who's dominate. But in the tiny cages, they don't have enough room to figure out who's boss, and this leads to fights.
   The bird's are fed a diet of pellet food. This is not very healthy for the birds, meaning that they produce unhealthy eggs, which in turn are not very high in vitamins. In the wild, chickens forage for bugs and some plant matter.  This makes their eggs good for consumption, being high in proteins.
   For more about chickens, check out the Humane Society's page on the birds!
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/chickens/
2.) Watch What You Buy
   Even if your carton of eggs says "Free Range" on it, that doesn't exactly mean that the birds get to see grass. A lot of times, "Free Range" simply means that they aren't kept in tiny wire cages, but rather filthy indoor huts. Try buying eggs from a local farmer who doesn't use such methods to raise his or her chickens.

3.) Go Egg Free!
If you don't like the thought of eating eggs, even humane ones, then don't! The birds do notice when their eggs are taken away, and this upsets them. Especially if they had all their eggs taken from them at once. I keep chickens, so I've seen this happen. Now, I only eat their "extra eggs, and leave some of them for them to "care" for (even though they are infertile [no chick inside]).
For lots of yummy, egg-free recipes, and a list of easily found egg replacements for baked recipes, check out http://www.egglesscooking.com/ They have some good recipes.

4.) Sponsor a Rescued Hen
   Ordinations, such as Farm Sanctuary, rescue farm animals from abuseful situations. You can help out by sponsoring an animal, such as a pig, horse, cow, or chicken!
https://secure2.vegsource.com/farmsanc/adopt/v-day12_form2.html
   Here's an idea: host a vegan bake-sale to raise money for needy chickens!


Next Month: World Water Consumption

Fair Trade Chocolate BONUS #2

   Check out what this past Hershey parody contest that the Global Exchange put on, and how the contest raised awareness and helped cocoa farmers: http://www.globalexchange.org/blogs/fairtrade/2011/03/22/fair-trade-roundup-brand-jam-contest-winner-will-receive-1000/

Fair Trade Chocolate BONUS #1

   Here is a video about Fair Trade Cocoa farmers in Ghina, and how the extra money earned by us buying Fair Trade helps there communities.

Febuary 2012: Fair Trade Chocolate

   Okay, who doesn't love chocolate? I know I sure do! But underneath the sweet, sugary goodness, chocolate has a dark side: poisonous pesticides, child labor, and underpayment. Here are some ways you can help eliminate the dark side of chocolate.
   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.

1.) Go Fair Trade. Okay, this is the most simple thing you can do. When you buy chocolate from a non-fair trade company, such as Hershe's, that means that the cacao farmers are not getting a fair price for their product. This can mean that the company buying the dried cacao seeds may be only paying a few cents per pound, or less. The Cacao farmers don't get a good price for their product, so they have to find cheep labor in the form of children, and use pesticides in abundance to prevent any crop loss.
   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.

   By buying fair-trade, you don't only help support poor farmers, but also their local community. In order to tell if an idea is fair trade, look for the fair-trade certification image on the packaging. Bonus: if you buy organic fair trade chocolate, you are also eliminating the need for harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and helping save forests. Cacao trees naturally grow best in the shade of larger trees. Because of this, organic cacao farmers usually leave the natural forests intact, and plant the cacao trees around the other trees growing naturally.


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