Video Interview: Fair Trade USA

If you've ever asked yourself, "what is fair trade?" or "why fair trade?", I've got a video for you! At this point most people understand what organic certification means, but few grasp the concept of fair trade, so I went to the source to get some clarification. This spring at Expo West I interviewed the lovely Katie Barrow, public relations and social media manager for Fair Trade USA, the organization that certifies and puts the stamp on products that you see on shelves. In the video she talks about fair trade, what it means, how it effects farmers, why it's important to buy certified items, and explains that it's not just about coffee but applies to many other foods and even clothing.

Glee Guys

A few years ago I bought some products from Glee Gum, who make "All-Natural, Eco-Friendly Chewing Gum Made With Sustainably Harvested Rainforest Chicle", which is "Vegetarian, Additive Free, Lactose Free, Dairy Free, Wheat Free, Gluten Free, Casein Free, Egg Free, Yeast Free, Nut Free, and Peanut Free."

They sent me a newsletter today full of great information:

• Halloween Goes Green
• Coffee Exchange - "a small batch coffee roaster in Providence, RI", who provides their "expanding global neighborhood with fresh roasted sustainable coffee".
• Cloud Forest School - "Known locally as the Centro de Educación Creativa, this bilingual school is located in the tropical cloud forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica. The school emphasizes the integration of environmental education in all aspects of its creative, experiential instruction."
• And check out all the following events happening around the country (click to enlarge)

Valentino Chocolatier Cafe

Had an amazing time at Valentino Chocolatier Cafe in The OC (Tustin). Not only were the vegan Belgium chocolates, hot chocolate, and crepes divine, but the atmosphere was very European and the owner is almost sweeter than the desserts!

They carry Rose City chocolates and cupcakes by Luscious Organic Desserts - yum!

I went down there to show my support as a vegan - while the cafe has a ton of vegan options they don't promote it because they don't have a huge vegan cliental (yet). Please go there, whether you're nearby or it becomes a weekend trip like mine, to show her how much you appreciate the delicious vegan selection. She'd be happy to provide more options (like rice and almond milk) if there's a demand for it.

Product Spotlight: hazelnut flavored Agave Nectar

I found organic hazelnut flavored Agave Nectar by Madhava at the CoOp and had to try it. I tried it in tea and I didn't love it, but it's great in coffee. I'm not a big coffee drinker, but everyonce in a while it's a nice treat and I love hazelnut flavor. You can also use it on ice cream, pancakes, italian soda, or whatever you want hazelnut on. It has the perfect amount of flavor and just the right amount of sweet.

And if hazelnut is not your favorite flavor, they have other options including vanilla and amaretto.

Only downside - I usually don't buy from Madhava because they're a honey company, which I feel a little weird supporting...

Twitter links: May 28th

@greenupgrader: Does the Package Make the Green Product?

@treehugger:

1. Greenwashed Packaging Cartoon Says It All
2. Buying Frozen Veggies Versus Canned: Which is Greener?

@naturallysavvy: Don't Throw Away Your Coffee Grounds!: 5 Reuses for Coffee Grounds

@greenopia: Greener Airlines? 10 Least Environmentally Harmful Companies

@ecosphericblog: Glass recycling: let's get smashed

@eartheats: The Truth Is Out on Genetically Modified Foods - And It's Not Pretty

@EcoFan: Solar-powered speaker dock for iPod doubles as a green charger

Eco-friendly Mother's Day

Mother's Day is just a few days away (May 10), and although it may just be another reason for companies to profit on a silly holiday you might still want to buy your lovely mother something! So why not make it eco-friendly? Here are some ideas:

- Potted plants instead of cut plants (what's the point of a dozen roses if they die in a couple days?)

- Organic (and perhaps vegan) chocolates. Dagoba has some really neat flavors, like Lavender Blueberry! (you can find them at Whole Foods)

- Organic body products - I love Hugo Naturals because they have great scents, and you can find them easily at places like Whole Foods

- Eco-vegan makeup - I love Gabriel Cosmetics and they're offering 20% off on their website for Mother's Day!

- Organic cocktail mixes by Modmix - they're vegan,and are available at Whole Foods. You can find a free downloadable $1 off coupon for Modmix here

- Fair-trade/organic/shade-grown coffee, or loose tea and a strainer. These teas from Tea Forte look nice.

- Jewelry made from recycled materials. Here are some examples: Smart Glass and Cool Planet.

- Donation to a eco-friendly organization. Author Rory Freedman (Skinny Bitch) will match donors to Peta2 dollar-to-dollar (up to $5,000) for Mother's Day.

- Carbon-offset gift certificates.

Here's a nice article from EcoMii with more ideas.

If your strapped for cash (and time), Peta suggests making a microwave cake!

Here's another article, from GoGreenBlog, and one from The Green Girls

Page-A-Day: February 20 - March 8

February 20 - www.notsobighouse.com

February 21 - Switch to loose tea in a reusable tea ball, or buy a pot with a strainer

February 22 - www.organicgardening.com

February 23 - Plants that are good in the office and suck up pollutants/humidify the air/improve your mood: Pothos, Aglaonema, Dracaena "Janet Craig/"Lisa", ZZ plant, parlor palm.

February 25 - Turn off the tap when you're brushing your teeth

February 27 - www.conservationfund.org/gozero; www.carbonfootprint.com/carbonoffset.html

March 3 - "In the end, we conserve what we love. We love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught." (Senegalese poet Baba Dioum)

March 5 - Don't pour antifreeze or oil (or any other household chemicals) on the ground, into storm sewers, or down the drain. Recycle them instead.

March 7 - Opt for organic fabrics for clothing, and look for items that are non-dyed, "colorgrown", or tinted with nontoxic vegetable dyes. www.thegreenguide.com; www.sustainablecotton.org

March 8 - When making your own coffee: buy organic and shade-grown, brew it with filter tap water, use a reusable filter, and compost the grounds.

Change the way you think

Change the way you think

The Healthy Bean: California

This place has a great mission and principles: The Healthy Bean strives to be the global leader in functional, nutritionally enhanced coffee and wellness products. We support wellness and a healthy lifestyle in every aspect of our business. All of their coffee is sustainably farmed, shade grown and organic. All of the coffee beans we use are Fair-Trade certified. 

Although, I read that they put whey in their coffee...which is a little weird.

Coffee

I just came across a great blog entry on Siel's site on Starbucks coffee. Next time you buy coffee, try to buy fair trade & organic, which really isn't that hard to find these days. Here's another related article from Organic Consumers Association.

And, make sure you bring your own coffee cup/container - not only is it eco-friendly, but many coffee shops will give you a discount for doing so. 

I don't drink coffee, but my favorite cafe in Los Angeles is Urth Caffe. I also like Le Pain Quotidien, which has locations all over the world. And if you're in Boston or Providence (Rhode Island), Tea Luxe is awesome. 

GroundWork in Los Angeles is entirely organic and fair trade