Sustainatarian

These past two months I have cycled over 2300km half way across Canada with The Otesha Project.  Why did I and 12 other people volunteer their time? Well… to become sustainability advocates, engage communities in dialogue, perform a play, and give work shops on environmental issues and social justice.

We not only gave performances, but sought out learning opportunities, skill shares, and had debates in our small mobile green community.  One of these debates was on the issue of fair trade.  For those of you not familiar with fair trade, it means ensuring that the people who grow and harvest our food are being paid a fair wage and are able to have their community, family, and own needs met.  The key to this process is sustainability.  Basically its cutting out the middle men, and becoming more connected with the people who do most of the leg work.

During our discussion on this topic we talked about large companies only having certain products be fair trade, such as the fair trade kit kat bar.  I decided then, that unless the entire company supported fair trade that when it came to chocolate bars they would no longer have my business.  This saddened the sweet tooth in me.  I then went to buy my last chocolate bar, and to write a letter to Dairy Milk to inform them that this would be the last delicious treat of theirs that I put in my mouth until they could prove to me they met my ethical standards, and as fate would have it I saw a new pretty logo in the corner of their Dairy Milk bars, could my eyes be deceived? It was a Fair Trade logo.  DREAM COME TRUE.  This International Candy Corporation is leading the way and had become the first International candy business to become Fair Trade Certified.

What shocked me even more was that their prices have stayed exactly the same, showing that Fair Trade can not only be sustainable for the workers but for the companies who are certified. Even as a consumer, I would rather pay a few bucks more, knowing that the food I am putting into my body does not include the exploitation of others.

Two members on my tour have given up chocolate that is not fair trade, even one has given it up for life.  The first step to becoming empowered is questioning our actions and choices. What choices will you make know that you know?

Another company I saw that has become Fair Trade is Ben and Jerrys, and not just the vanilla but they are switching over to ALL the ingredients. Clearly consumers are asking for more from larger corporations, and thank you Dairy Milk and Ben and Jerrys for listening.

Also, if you have a chocolate bar company, coffee, crafts etc… company you would love to see fair trade use the power of your voice and write a letter.  Another girl told me taking the time to actually hand write and mail off a letter to a company, is taken vastly more seriously that an email.  Its not just what you chose to purchase but how you chose to use your voice.  Go one step further and push to have your town a Fair Trade Town!!

For more information on what logos to look for visit Transfair.

* Disclaimer be wary of companies that use terms such as Fairly traded, or Direct Trade, they are not certified.  Take it even a step further do research into the company, just because one product is certified Fair Trade doesn’t mean that they deserve a gold star.

Have a Lovely Sustainable Day