Megan Phelps
megankphelps
[email protected]
Mt. Everest Academy
GREENEST
•
CHALLENGE
Take a trip to your local grocer, campus convenience store, or online
retailer and find the Fair Trade certified versions of ten products you
use regularly
Products I use regularly:
1. Tea
2. Chocolate
3. Quinoa
4. Sugar
5. Coconut oil
6. Hair gel
7. Bananas
8. Coconut flour
9. Coffee
10. Soap
•
•
Take or download photos of all 10 items
With those photos, create a graphic or chart with following for each
item:
o One way that the conventional practice of manufacturing this
product negatively impacts people and the planet.
o How you know the item is Fair Trade certified.
o One positive impact that purchasing the fair trade version might
have.
Wholesome! biodynamic, non-gmo, organic, and fair trade cane sugar
Small sugarcane farmers are often pressured to sell sugarcane for a fraction
of its value, because big “middlemen” dominate the trade. This leads to
more pressure to forgo sustainable growing practices, as they are too
expensive for small farmers to afford, and employ their children in child
labor.
I know it is Fair Trade certified because of the logo at the bottom righthand
corner of the package.
Buying Fair Trade sugar helps support a farming process that protects
natural vegetation and aquatic resources.
Alaffia hand soap
As I learned in the cosmetics portion of the Project Green Challenge,
conventional hand soaps often contain parabens, sulfates, and other harmful
chemicals. These chemicals wash into waterways and harm the environment.
I know it is Fair Trade because of the logo on the bottom lefthand corner.
The organization that certified this product was “Fair for Life,” which is
different than Fair Trade USA. However, based on my research, Fair for Life
is also a third-party certification process and is legitimate.
Buying Fair Trade soap (made with Fair Trade shea butter) helps empower
women living in Africa by providing them with a substantial source of
income and adequate working conditions. Fair Trade shea butter must be
grown and produced in a way that minimizes environmental impact.
Alaffia Hair Gel
Aside from the harmful chemicals found in conventional hair products,
conventionally grown and produced products often do not protect the
environment or human health. In Africa, wars and disease have proved
especially detrimental to health of inhabitants. Furthermore, women earn
half as much as what men do. There is a 90% dropout rate for girls who are
of school age.
I know it’s Fair Trade since it has a logo in the mid-left of the bottle.
Buying Alaffia hair gel will help empower women in Africa to have better
education and more reasonable wages. It will also help support
environmental preservation.
Sunspire Chocolate Chips
Conventional chocolate is often produced using child labor, and farmers
generally receive only a small portion of the true price of the chocolate in
comparison to the profit of the “middle man.”
I know these chocolate chips are Fair Trade because they display a logo on
the bottom right corner.
Purchasing Fair Trade Chocolate helps support sustainable farming practices
and provide an adequate wage that will maintain employment for adults—
not children.
Numi Organic Tea
Conventional tea programs practice unfair trade and unfair labor. Workers
are often not given an adequate wage. The environment suffers when
farmers cannot afford to practice sustainable cultivation methods.
The Fair Trade logo is printed on the bottom right corner.
Fair Trade tea helps promote welfare of laborers and fair payment for
farmers. Furthermore, organizations receive a premium that can be used to
invest in the community for a brighter future.
Organic Alter Eco Black Quinoa
Farmers who cultivate beans and grains often are forced to sell their grains at
low prices because they do not have the means to store them while they find
the best deal. They are often marginalized and have limited market access.
Farmers often lack the means to practice sustainable farming tactics as well.
I knew the quinoa was Fair Trade because of the logo on the bottom left
corner (a little obscured in the photo).
Purchasing Fair Trade quinoa can help promote access to education, better
working conditions, and healthcare in countries where these services are
often limited. Fair Trade premiums give farmers the ability to invest in their
community.
Organic bananas
Farmers who grow bananas, almost always in developing countries, often
live and work in impoverished conditions for long hours. And, despite the
increasing demand for bananas worldwide, they often receive little because
of “price fluctuations and unfair wage contracts.” (Fair Trade USA)
Growing methods for conventional bananas are also harmful to the
environment. The cultivation of this crop can cause soil erosion and
deforestation.
I know this bunch of bananas is Fair Trade because of the logo found on the
sticker of the fruit.
Purchasing Fair Trade bananas supports the realization of the solutions to
these environmental and social problems. Farmers receive substantial wages,
and they employ methods of cultivation that do not pollute, erode soils, or
contribute to deforestation.
Allegro Organic Coffee
Conventional coffee beans are generally sourced from small farmers with
little or no knowledge of the industry or world market. So, they often sell
their product for far less than what its worth. They rely on the labor of their
children to continue production, since wages are inadequate. Children cannot
go to school.
I know it is Fair Trade because of the logo on the mid-right of the package.
Buying Fair Trade coffee helps small farmers gain access to better
knowledge of the industry to better defend the prices of their goods and
connect with international buyers. Farmers, with this increase in wages, can
care for their families, manage their business, and better care for the
environment.
Nutiva Coconut Oil
According to an article by Tree Hugger, the increase in coconut popularity
has forced many small farmers to abandon their lands in favor of crops with
a bigger profit, especially palm oil. Coconut farmers are often the most
impoverished in Asian countries, and generally practice monoculture, which
makes environmental change more impactful. Farmers generally do not
receive a large enough profit off their goods to continue farming.
I know it is Fair Trade since it has a logo on the right middle of the label.
Buying Fair Trade coconut oil helps ensure that farmers receive adequate
compensation for their goods and that sustainable growing practices—
economically and environmentally—are practiced. Farmers can directly sell
to international buyers to secure good pricing.
Arrowhead Mills Coconut Flour
As I described above, conventional cultivation of coconuts usually provides
such small profits that farmers are incentivized to switch to more profitable
crops. Often, these new crops include palm oil production, which can cause
deforestation.
The logo on the bottom left hand corner indicates that it is Fair Trade.
Purchasing Fair Trade coconut flour promotes fair wages for farmers, which
encourage coconut farmers to continue growing this crop. Furthermore, it
provides a means to invest in environmental sustainability.
•
Does your local store have the Fair Trade certified items? If not, let
them know you want to see Fair Trade with this printable product
request card.
Our local Whole Foods does carry these Fair Trade items!
Social Media Challenge
Post one of your photos to Twitter and caption it with the positive
impact your purchase could have.
Tag@TurningGreenOrg and @FairTradeUSA. Include the hashtags
#PGC2015 and #FairTrade.