Posts Tagged ‘fair trade’

I'll take two please!

You know what the best afternoon pick-me-up is? That's right, chocolate. And do you know what's even better than plain old chocolate? Yes, fair trade chocolate.

Last week, Cadbury announced that its Fair Trade Certified Cadbury Dairy Milk delicious chocolate bars are finally available in Canada. When a product is fair trade certified it means that the farmers or artisans who help make the product are paid a fair wage, allowed to join unions and provided good housing. The term also guarantees that no child or forced labour was used.

I'm happy that I can now guiltlessly add Cadbury Dairy Milk to my rotation of, um, nutritious snacks.

The kind folks at Cadbury sent me three fair trade chocolate bars. It's the perfect snack for a overcast Monday afternoon. And you know what? I'm not going to share them. I would with you, though, if you were here. But your not and that's too bad ... for you.

What's your favourite fair trade product? Mine's chocolate. Could you tell?

Are you still using paper napkins at the dinner table? If you are, you should consider breaking this nasty habit ASAP. You can cut down substantially on the amount of waste you produce in your kitchen by using cloth napkins. They're perfect, as you don't throw them out after each use, and depending on how messy an eater you are, they can be good for plenty of uses before needing to be laundered. My favourite cloth napkins come from Ten Thousand Villages. They have such a wide selection of napkins (and other beautiful products) made by artists from many different countries, and should you visit the store, I guarantee you'll leave there with a unique collection to show off to guests. Besides their beautiful designs, I love that my napkins from Ten Thousand Villages are made by artisans in developing communities who are being paid a fair wage for their beautiful work.

Do you use cloth napkins at home?

Yummy and fair!

Cadbury Canada just announced that Cadbury Dairy Milk is receiving fair trade certification in Canada. This is big news for one of the largest candy companies in our country, and for its cocoa farmers in Ghana who will be receiving a fair wage for their delicious crop. Hopefully Cadbury's announcement will trigger other companies to do the same.

Next summer (Cadbury's Fair Trade Dairy Milk bars will be available Summer 2010), when you head to the convenience store for your afternoon pick-me-up, you'll be able to make a conscience choice that will positively effect the lives of Ghana's cocoa farmers.

Speaking of chocolate and afternoon pick-me-ups, I think I'll head out on a break to find some fair trade chocolate to wake me up!

Valentine's Day: I could take it or leave it, but pass me the chocolate!

Well, Valentine's Day is here and love is in the air - or in the window of your local drug store. Let's face it, you either love the day, or hate it. But chances are, you reap the benefits of the mass amount of in-your-face chocolate and candy. Personally, my favourite day is February 15, when I head to a store and clear out the 50 per cent off bin – it's filled with Valentines Day themed chocolate. Though I'm usually woozy with delight at the thought of eating chocolate, I try to keep in mind that what we buy affects the environment.

When buying chocolate, I try to ensure that the package states that my bar is Fair Trade Certified, which means that cocoa farmers receive fair prices for their goods. I also look out for the words Certified Organic, meaning the cocoa I'm about to consume was grown without using pesticides and fertilizers.

I read in National Geographic's Green Guide that we should also be looking for the words "Rainforest Alliance Certified" on our chocolate products, meaning that the cocoa plants were grown in a shade, which allows for wildlife habitat to remain protected and preserved.

Some reputable chocolate brands:

Green & Black's - is apparently the world's first organic brand. They are also proponents of ethical trading.

Cocoa Camino - great (a.k.a. delicious!) Fair Trade Certified and organic certified chocolate products.

Organic Fair - It pretty much says it all in the title.

I also recently read about LPK's Culinary Groove, a green, organic organic and fair trade pastry and chocolate shop in Toronto.

Need more ideas for ways to go green this Valentine's Day?

• Find out why you should buy organic roses

• Shopping with a conscience

Do you enjoy Valentine's Day? How do you celebrate it? Will you go green this V-day?