By: Leslie Berliant I have been cooking, baking and candy making for as long as I can remember. From the time I started kindergarten, sometime around the middle of November, my mother would come in my room in the morning, feel my forehead, proclaim that I was too sick to go to school and for the next week I [...]
By: Ryan Chamberlain If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em…then beat ‘em. That’s one way of defining the strategy of Greenlight Apparel: Join a traditionally wicked business specifically to effect change from within. The global garment industry has been fraught with ethical production problems for a long time: from the mass pollution of dyes, bleach, and solvents, to sweatshops, [...]
Please note: This posting critiques the fair trade industry at the close of 2011. As of January 2012, Fair Trade USA revised their standards and the current standards will be discussed in a future posting.) Part 4 of a multi-series blog. Read Part 1-3 here Fair Trade International and Fair Trade USA have both had a positive impact on the [...]
By: Julie Fahnestock Part 3 of a multi-series post (read part 1 and part 2) (Please note: This posting critiques the fair trade industry at the close of 2011. As of January 2012, Fair Trade USA revised their standards and the current standards will be discussed in a future posting. Click on the link at the bottom of the post to [...]
By Lauren Brock April is Earth Month. It’s the perfect occasion to brush up on your recycling and composting, plant a tree, ride your bike, and replace your light bulbs with the spiral-shaped energy-efficient ones. Here’s some good news: You can also add stocking up on Fair Trade Certified products to that list. You might already be familiar with how [...]
By: Jessica Marati Think you’re supporting a small business when you make the more “natural” or “organic” choice at the supermarket? Think again. A big reason these brands are available in such a mainstream environment is because they’re part of larger corporations — you know, the ones behind the sugary, preservative-filled brand name option right over there. While doing research for [...]
A word to describe Atlanta is dynamic. The city has seen great movement in the last 10 years; adding an average of 500,000 people annually, more than any other metro area in the United States. Growth also means that Atlanta is becoming more diverse and young with an average age of 33 (36 is the average age for US population). [...]
Photos and Text By: Jonathan Tattum The SAME Café in Denver, Colorado, USA has a misleading name. Not only does its menu change every day but also its prices change for each customer. Customers decide how much they want to pay and if they don’t have any money they can exchange an hour of service for their meal. [...]
By: Ben Gleason Doi Chaang Coffee is a unique partnership between Canadian businessmen and the chief of the Doi Chaang village of North Thailand. They believe strongly in sustainable agriculture, organic growing methods, and fairly traded coffee. I encourage you to look at their website, you will be shocked at how much information they provide about the owners, the workers, [...]
A quick-start guide to making ethical purchases By: Marie Elvshammar No matter what you are shopping for – from groceries to comparing insurances – we are always offered choices. At times it can be overwhelming and difficult to know if you are making the right decision. You can start by asking good questions and knowing how to choose a product [...]
