A Fair Trade Easter....and Beyond

One of the truths behind our food that hasn't been in the big spotlight lately is that a lot of our 'treat' items that are available so cheaply and consumed so widely get to us via abuse, slavery, very poor worker conditions and many times this is happening to children, too.  Coffee, chocolate, sweat-shop clothing and more fall into this category.  I've been trying out Fair-Trade chocolate for the past few years and it's absolutely delicious.  It is more expensive, but I feel happy buying less and enjoying it more.  I absolutely believe that the small choices we make can make a huge impact.  This Easter (and beyond) will you consider replacing some of your non-Fair-Trade items with ones that are Fair Trade?  Maybe you can start small with hot chocolate that you drink only a few months in the winter.  Or pick a holiday and try to make all of the candy fair-trade.  While you're at it, think about things with less packaging that do less harm to the environment.  Have you found anything like this to share?  I've purchased coffee, tea, hot cocoa, nuts and chocolate from Global Exchange and I've been really happy with all of them.

I took the following from http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/EasterEggHuntKids :

"Celebrating Easter and the innocence of childhood go hand in hand. Joyful children dress sweetly in fancy Easter clothes, and relish the suspense and fun of Easter Egg Hunts for chocolate and other sweet treats. This year, your Easter Egg Hunt can also bring freedom and joy to children on the other side of the globe. Much of the chocolate candy on the market for Easter (and year-round) contains cocoa produced with grueling child labor or slavery, which is not in the spirit of Easter.


There is an alternative. Fair Trade Certified chocolate comes from cocoa farms that are inspected annually to ensure there is no abusive child labor or slavery.  Fair Trade farmers also receive a more equitable price for their cocoa, allowing children to go to school, visit the doctor, and have enough food to eat.
What can I do to make my children's Easter Egg Hunt Fair Trade?

• Use Fair trade chocolate! Fair Trade chocolate is available at stores near you and Global Exchange's online store!!
• Explain to the kids about Fair Trade and why it is important. Read Global Exchange's Fair Trade chocolate activity book to the kids and let them color the pictures! Or just give a short explanation of Fair Trade before the hunt. Browse Global Exchange's Fair Trade cocoa pages for more information. Be sure to educate the grownups, too!
• Have the kids color and sign Global Exchange's Fair Trade Easter cards, addressed to World's Finest Chocolate, asking the company to start sourcing at least 5% of their cocoa as Fair Trade! Click here!"