fair-trade
All Things Ethically Sourced
I got engaged a little while ago, and people are constantly commenting on my very unique ring. My Fiancé picked out a gorgeous, unique ring from Brilliant Earth, and I love having the opportunity to gush to my friends that the metal is all recycled platinum, and that the diamonds are all ethically sourced. Yet I’ve been shocked with how many people give me an absolute
blank stare when I say the words “ethically sourced”. You would think I was trying to describe a complex medical procedure. On the plus side, it allows me to educate those around me to what exactly it means to be “ethically sourced”.
Ethically sourced is exactly what it sounds like. It is a broad term that refers to an item or product was brought to you from a source that used ethical practices from start to finish. This may mean that it was paid for at a fair price, or that the source considers the environment and the country or location of origin. Also referred to as fair trade, or with diamonds they are referred to as conflict-free. Conflict free further means that the gem was not mined and sold to pay for an insurgent campaign or to finance a warlord in Africa. Ethically sourced items are free from human rights abuses, or child labor, and did not cause any harm to the environment.
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Fair Trade Tea Tasting: Zhena’s Gypsy Tea
I wake up in the morning pretty groggy, and the shower’s enough to keep me awake for a few minutes after I step out but like much of America, I need something more than water to keep me going through the day. I’d like to think it’s not true, but I probably am a caffeine-addict with my own alternative to a five dollar cup of coffee every morning – I kick start my day with tea.
I like to think though that I’m not a simple addict, but instead, a tea-connoisseur (ah, the semantics of denial) and have always gone out of my way to drink teas that appeal to me instead of simply getting a regular morning caffeine fix. Generally, this comes in the form of a single-estate tea I’ve either randomly picked up doing groceries – or when I’m particularly feeling curious, over the Internet.
Courtesy of Zhena's Gypsy Tea
I’ve also, less occasionally, dabbled my hand in flavored teas, where the interest isn’t so much in preserving the unique taste of tea from a particular estate but instead in the actual additional flavoring. Although it would be a break from routine, a sampler tin of 16 tea-bags (of four different flavors) caught my eye when I had to pick up a few groceries last week. What particularly perked my attention wasn’t the variety of flavors, or the colorful nature of the stacked tins, but the catchwords with which this tea were labeled: “fair trade” and “organic”. As I turned it over to the other-side, I also found that the tea was kosher. I couldn’t really place my finger on the relevance of the ‘kosher’ tag though as I always thought that such a label would only be applicable to products in some way derived from animals and they haven’t started putting bacon in tea just yet. “Meh”, I thought, “I’ll give em a try.”
Eco Labels and Logos
Eco Labeling can be confusing, and with so many different green logos out there, who do you trust? Luckily, many of the statements, such as Organic and Fair Trade, are regulated to some degree, so you can feel safe knowing that it isn’t ambiguous. With all that greenwashing out there, others can be a bit tricky, such as ‘Natural’ and ‘Eco-friendly’. Here is a quick guide covering the basics when it comes to organic, fair trade, humane, cruelty free, animal testing and more. These are the logos and labels you want to look for and trust.
Valentines Day Organic Equal Exchange Coffee and Chocolate Love Pairing
Valentines day is nearing and what better way to wake up with your love than with a coffee and chocolate pairing. It’ll get your heart racing and your euphoric feelings jump started (we all know the love euphoria properties of chocolate). You won’t feel guilty enjoying this because it is eco-friendly and socially responsible Organic and Fair-trade from Equal Exchange. I was delighted when Annie from Mambo Sprouts was gracious enough to send me a sample.
Wrapped in a recycled print gift bag chocked full of goodies, the Equal Exchange Organic Chocolate and Coffee Pairing Gift Bag will be sure to conjure up feelings of the holidays. Two bags of love inspired organic coffee blends (Organic Love Buzz and Organic Mind, Body and Soul) along with four Organic Chocolate Bars perfectly paired with a ‘pairing’ instruction sheet will provide for an entertaining and enjoyable morning or afternoon activity to share. At $34.95, its less than a dozen roses and definitely tastes better! Check the bottom of this post for a free shipping code for The Chic Ecologist readers.
For those with a soft spot for chocolate heart minis, Equal Exchange’s fairly traded (Vegan and gluten-free) Organic Dark Chocolate Minis (55% cacao content) are a far-cry from the chocolates you find in those heart shaped boxes. These deliciously rich, bite-sized chocolates are crafted using the best quality organic cacao (cocoa beans) from small-scale farmer co-operatives in the Dominican Republic and Peru. › Continue reading
Fine and Raw Chocolates
Having been converted into a chocolate lover late in life, I was excited to explore new and exotic chocolate flavors. I can say I have eaten the fruit of a freshly picked cacao pod, chewed a raw bean, and grated freshly roasted coco beans into milk to make hot chocolate- so I like to really explore foods right down to their raw form.
Raw foodstuffs are starting to gain more traction as we are trying to get further from preservatives and limit our processed food intake. No one understands this better than Fine and Raw. Handmade in Brooklyn, these chocolates are crafted from raw ingredients using low heat techniques to keep the chocolate’s raw vitality and flavor.
All of the ingredients are organic, and are sourced from a small fairtrade cacao farmers co-op that practices sustainable farming. All packaging is recycled and printed with non-toxic and vegetable based inks. Raw Blue Agave is used to sweeten the bars instead of sugar due to its unique sweet notes and tones, plus it is low glycemic and sweeter than sugar.
They were nice enough to send me a sample pack which included a Lucuma & Vanilla bar, a 78% bar and a 2 pack of bon bons. The first thing I noticed was the packaging. Rough and earthy, the brown craft paper packaging and fact sheet with whimsical two color line art let me know what was in store for me- handcrafted and basic, but also unique and perfected, it all came into focus.
Fair Trade Sustainable Sporting Goods
How often do you think about your sporting goods and how they impact the environment? Well, you may not have really had a choice – but now you do! Fair Trade Sports brings North America the first line of sports balls (soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, rugby and more) certified fair trade and green.
Also available in Australia through Etiko Sports and UK and Europe through Fair Deal Trading, these products are made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified all natural vegan rubber and hand stitched by Union workers who are paid a living wage. Fair wages and healthy sweatshop-free working conditions for adult workers are used for their apparel as well (hint hint Nike). › Continue reading
