Fair Trade Feedback

Here is a link to the Ethical Consumer Guide that is issued in Australia.  You can buy the guide to ethical supermarket shopping in print form, or download it for free.

The information and links on the site provide excellent information about what you can do as a consumer to change the way big companies operate; there are some great workplace initiatives as well.  I especially like the pdf chart, 'your dollar is your vote".

 

Hurray - Cadbury's Dairy Milk and their hot chocolate is going to switch over to Fairtrade by this summer. That is an enormous part of the UK and Irish chocolate market (and my favourite!). According tot he Daily Telegraph:

"The company sells 300m of Cadbury Dairy Milk bars in Britain each year and the move will increase Fairtrade's £700m of UK sales by 20pc."

See Traidcraft and Cadbury's statements.

I don't know how many are Canadians in this group but Superstore, which is Loblaws, has narrowed the gap between the organic prices and the regular stuff. Although it is a more expensive choice the quality is there!  Also Loblaws has increased the fair trade section and I am so glad to see this.  We still buy the green fair trade beans for coffee so I am going to venture into some other things.  The section still has no fresh produce but the packaged goods are increasing so all goes well there!

I have noticed shopping that there is a lot more fairtrade products in the supermarket.  I've always been conscious of organic and get it when i can, but have found the coffee rather expensive.  Last time i looked Coles had a couple of Fairtrade products (prices through the roof) now there is probably about six to choose from.  I'm sure it depends which area you are in but i have bought this one Scarborough Fair dark roast, Fairtrade, Organic, Arabica coffee.  It cost about $6.00 for a 200g pack and can be used for plunger, filter and expresso...too easy!! 

Scarborough Fair is a NZ company, and you can get their products here in Australia at Woolies and Coles, and online through Amazon USA.

I haven't tried the coffee yet but...... i think i will do that right now.......!

From Stop Chocolate Slavery - check it out ; )

Maybe you can even think of some that they could add to the list.

For anyone who missed Matthew's blog, there is a great promotion from World Vision to promote child sponsorship as they are struggling in today's current financial market to find sponsors for their children:

http://www.worldvision.com.au/childsponsorship/sponsorachild.aspx?souce=1168

Some of you may have seen the ads - McCafe is now using rainforest alliance certified coffee.

While this is a good change i am still dubious about McDonalds.  It seems they have been using rainforest alliance coffee in the UK and Ireland for a while.  Now here in Australia, check out this link for some interesting feedback.

I guess this is a form of tongue in cheek, it is a great way to give feedback to a major company that is digging it's heels in. 

However there is also a Nike Campaign on the Global Exchange site, that shows the more serious side of this sporting goods supplier. 

Still Waiting For Nike To Do It

I sure don't think the swoosh is so swish anymore, and I won't be gearing up in their gear until they clean up their act.

 

Some supermarkets are now stocking fairtrade products... This increased buying power will hopefully make some products more affordable, and the convenience may raise the profile of these products.

If your particular supermarket isn't stocking fairtrade products, yet the buying chain sources them, write to them, or speak to the manager.  Find out what you can do to encourage them to supply products that are fair trade. 

http://www.kushtush.com/Be_Fair.jpg

Lucky enough to have a supermarket or major chain supply of fairtrade products in your area?  Give some feedback back to the management and ecourage them to continue with this and similar lines.  Let people know that these products are available, and where they can purchase them; every effort you make is worth while.

 

As per this report on Tree Huggers - they were awarded a conscience award from the "International Brands With A Conscience Awards".  Great stuff!  This is the link to the article.

The Chocolonely web/blog is also a good one to bookmark and read, it updates all the time and although the topic is serious, the articles and links are very humorous. : )