Taza Chocolates: Vegan, Organic, and delicious. The recipes behind these discs comefrom the streets of Oaxaca City, Mexico. The Vanilla Stone Ground discs are made using only Mexican stone mills, these treats contain only 3 ingredients (organic cane sugar, Organic Dominican Cacao beans, whole vanilla beans).

sheshallgofree:

Flowers:

• FTD Go Green Living
• One World Flowers
• 1-800-Flowers
• California Organic Flowers
• Organic Bouquet
• Sam’s Club (Fair Trade Roses)

———-

Chocolates:

• Sweet Earth Chocolates
• Madecasse
• Equal Exchange Chocolate
• Shaman Chocolates
• Rescue Chocolate
• Green & Blacks
• Theo Chocolate (Seattle)
• Divine Chocolate
• Smith Organic Chocolates
• Taza Chocolate
• CocoaVino

To see more and read about the companies listed above, check out this article by The Daily Green!

Flowers:

• FTD Go Green Living
• One World Flowers
• 1-800-Flowers
• California Organic Flowers
• Organic Bouquet
• Sam’s Club (Fair Trade Roses)

———-

Chocolates:

• Sweet Earth Chocolates
• Madecasse
• Equal Exchange Chocolate
• Shaman Chocolates
• Rescue Chocolate
• Green & Blacks
• Theo Chocolate (Seattle)
• Divine Chocolate
• Smith Organic Chocolates
• Taza Chocolate
• CocoaVino

To see more and read about the companies listed above, check out this article by The Daily Green!

Fair Trade is an alternative approach to conventional trade that is based on a partnership between producers and consumers. It provides better terms of trade and ensures the sustainability of production and trade, even in times of economic instability. The Fair Trade standard aims to correct the imbalance of power that has been created through trading relationships and to redress the injustices of conventional trade.

For producers, Fair Trade means prices that aim to cover the costs of sustainable production, an additional Fair Trade Premium, advance credit, longer term trade relationships, and decent working conditions for hired labour. (www.fairtrade.net)

Fair Trade rewards and encourages farming and production practices that are environmentally sustainable. It also encourages producers to strive toward organic certification. Producers are required to:

• Protect the environment in which they work and live, including areas of natural water, virgin forest, and other important land areas as well as dealing with problems of erosion and waste management.
• Develop, implement, and monitor an operations plan on farming and techniques that reflects a balance between protecting the environment and good business results.
• Follow national and international standards for the handling of chemicals (there is a list of chemicals which are prohibited).
• Avoid (intentionally) using products which include genetically modified organisms (GMO)
• Monitor what affect their activities are having on the environment then make and implement a plan for how to lessen the impacts.

FAIR TRADE STANDARDS

There are two distinct sets of Fair Trade standards—one set applies to smallholder producers that are working together in cooperatives or other organizations with a democratic structure. The second set applies to hired labors/workers whose employers pay decent wages, guarantee the right to join trade unions, ensure health and safety standards, and provide adequate housing where relevant. The standards also cover terms of trade, which most products having a set Fair Trade Price, which is the minimum price that must be paid to producers. This price aims to ensure that producers can cover their average costs of sustainable production. It provides a safety net for farmers when the world markets fall below the sustainable level and protects against vulnerability. When the market price is higher than the Fair Trade minimum, the buyer must pay the higher price.

Producers also receive a Fair Trade Premium, which is an additional sum that producers use to invest in their communities. The money goes into a communal fund for workers and farmers, which is used to improve social, economic, and environmental conditions. The use of this money is decided upon democratically by productions within their farmers organization or by workers on a plantation. It may be invested in education, healthcare, farm improvements to increase yield or quality, or processing facilities to increase income. The broader community outside the producer organization often benefits from these improvements as well.

Fair Trade is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Its purpose is to create opportunities for producers and workers who have been economically disadvantaged or marginalized by the conventional trading system. If fair access to markets under better trade conditions would help them overcome barriers to development, they can join Fair Trade.

Trade operators can join Fair Trade if they are committed to supporting these Fair Trade objectives. This standard should be viewed as the minimum requirement on traders for demonstration of their commitment to Fair Trade.

Companies trading Fair Trade products must:

1. Pay a price to producers that aims to cover the costs of sustainable production (i.e. the Fair Trade Minimum Price)
2. Pay an additional sum that producers can invest in development (i.e. the Fair Trade Premium)
3. Partially pay in advance when producers ask for, thereby providing advanced credit.
4. Sign contracts that allow for long-term planning and sustainable production practices.

For a full list of Fair Trade Standards, visit Fairtrade Standards.

For more information on where to find Fairtrade products, visit Fairtrade Products.

ecofriendlyfashion:

Fair Trade Fashion:

Nicole Miller has partnered up with Indego Africa to create a fair-trade clothing & jewelry line. 15% of the profits will be donated to Indego Africa (an innovative social enterprise that partners with women artisans in Rwanda on a fair trade basis to drive forward a sustainable, long-term solution to poverty in Africa ) The pieces are stunningly beautiful and worth every penny check out Nicole Miller’s Website for more info.

Thank you Refinery29 for this great find!

-GS

Fantastic! :)

There are plenty of reasons to love Ben & Jerry’s, not least of which being their delicious and creative ice creams and sorbets. But Ben & Jerry’s really receives a gold star in our book because of the way they have chosen to do business. They have provided a brilliant model for ethical business practices—one we hope others will emulate. Here are some of our top reasons for loving Ben & Jerry’s:

1. They pay their workers a livable wage. All full time manufacturing employees are paid enough to allow for a quality of life that includes decent housing, health care, transportation, food, recreation, savings, and miscellaneous expenses. In recent years, Ben & Jerry’s livable wage has been more than twice the national minimum wage.
2. They are committed to community service. In recent years, they have cooked, boxed, and planted food for the Vermont Food Bank, rebuilt houses in New Orleans, and built a playground in a low-income neighborhood in Berlin, Germany. In company-owned Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops, they have also created programs with nonprofit partners to help young people facing big challenges to learn job and life skills. Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen once said, “Business has a responsibility to give back to the community.” And we agree.
3. They give $1.8 million to nonprofit organizations every year through the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation. This philanthropy is employee-led by non-management, employee advisory groups who consider proposals and recommend grants. Some of the funded organizations include the Center for Immigrant Families, the United Workers Association, Farm Worker Pesticide Project, and the Louisiana Bucket Brigade.
4. They have a PartnerShop program that offer job and entrepreneurial training to youth and young adults that may face barriers to employment. PartnerShops help people build better lives. They are independently owned and operated by community-based nonprofit organizations. And Ben & Jerry’s waives the standard franchise fees and provides additional support to help nonprofits operate strong businesses. As PartnerShop operators, nonprofits retain their business proceeds to support their programs.
5. They work to reduce their impact on the environment. They have created “the clean, green freezer” that use hydrocarbon gases. These freezers do not contribute to global warming or the depletion of the ozone layer. They are also a partner of the Dairy Stewardship Alliance, which promotes sustainable farming practices. They have created toolkits to helps dairy farmers assess their own practices and move toward economic, social, and environmental well-being. They also monitor their impact on global warming and invest in programs and projects that try to offset carbon emissions. Ben & Jerry’s is “passionate about making their waste less wasteful” by finding creative ways to reuse or repurpose their production waste. And finally, they source all of the paperboard for their cartons from a supplier that uses pulp from sustainably managed forests, and are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
6. They use Fair Trade certified ingredients. Many of Ben & Jerry’s ice creams use Fair Trade certified vanilla from Uganda, Fair Trade certified cocoa powder from Cote d’Ivoire, Fair Trade certified cocoa powder from the Conacado cooperative in the Dominican Republic, and/or Fair Trade certified coffee beans from the Huatusco cooperative in Mexico. They also use ethically sourced macadamia nuts from Malawi. They are also in the process of expanding their use of fair trade ingredients in their product lines.
7. They use ethically sourced (local) ingredients and support ethical businesses. All of the dairy used in their products come from family farms that have pledged not to treat their cows with artificial growth hormones. Plus, many of these farmers participate in their Caring Dairy programs that pursue more sustainable practices on the farms. And (one of our favorite aspects), the delicious brownies they use in many of their most popular flavors always come from the Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, NY. Greyston Bakery is a model for corporate ethics—they hire and support low-income people who are making the transition towards economic self-sufficiency. They provide housing for the homeless, childcare, employment training, jobs, and comprehensive health care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Through these programs, Greyston is able to reach (and change the lives of) over 2,000 people every year.

There are many more reasons that we love and respect Ben & Jerry’s. While no company is perfect, we recognize and commend Ben & Jerry’s for their incredible dedication to corporate ethics.

And did we mention their incredible flavors? Rock on, Ben & Jerry’s. You guys understand how to be a force for freedom.

Equal Exchange Organic Very Dark Chocolate Bars, 3.5-Ounces (Pack of 12)

(For more sweet treat options, check out Fair Trade Chocolate)

Fair Trade Foot Lotion by LUSH

(For more great products like this, check out the LUSH Bath Products)

Handmade Wave Cards & Envelopes (Set of Six)

(For more sustainable and fair trade stationery and paper products, check out Taraluna Fair Trade Stationery and From the Earth Greeting Cards)

Sunset Silk & Linen Shawls

(For more beautiful fair trade scarves, check out Taraluna Scarves and Global Girlfriend Scarves and Ecolution Scarves)

Fair Trade Sun Design Cuff Bracelet Stainless Steel (Adjustable)

(For more bracelets like this, check out AzureBella Fair Trade Bracelets)

Goldsheen Obsidian Teardrop, Sterling Silver Pendant (Artisan Made, Fair Trade)

(For more pieces like this one, check out Silver Peace Jewelry)

Gaiam Fair Trade Hand-Crafted Zen Jewelry Holder

(For more unique decor, check out Gaiam Fair Trade Products)

Multi-strand Gold Pearl & Crystal Necklace (Adjustable), Made By Survivors

Recycled Oil Drum Wall Art, Tree of Life Design (Artisan Made in Haiti, Fair Trade)

(For more great pieces like this one, check out Beautiful You Fair Trade Artwork)

Happy Feet Pumice Stone, Foot Brush & Soap (Fair Trade)

(For more products like this one, check out Connected Fair Trade)