Oic Trade

Archive for June, 2010

Knowing Fair Trade and Certified Organic chocolate companies

Today, there are more fair trade chocolate companies and brands specializing in organic chocolate ingredients than ever. Whether you’re looking for chocolate gifts for a special occasion or a quick snack for the road, your eco-shopping trip will be much less hassle today that it would have been even five years ago.

So breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that you no longer have to struggle over where to buy earth friendly chocolate products. We’ve collected a long list of the highest quality, most ethically-sound, and most popular chocolate companies and organic chocolate brands. Give them a gander, share them with your friends, and above all, celebrate your choice to live a greener, more socially-aware life!

Alter Eco

Using only Certified Organic and Certified Fair Trade chocolate, as well as fair trade, organic sugar, nuts, raisins, and coffee beans, Alter Eco’s chocolates are also free of artificial flavors, sweeteners, chemical additives, and emulsifiers.

Dagoba Organic

Dagoba Organic Chocolate’s belief in chocolate as a sacred food (dagoba means temple in Sanskrit) is made from organic cocoa beans from a variety of countries, including Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Peru.

Divine Chocolate

Organized by farmers, the Divine Chocolate company works with small cocoa producers primarily in West Africa, to stimulate ethical trade practices. The company invests in building schools, sinking wells, providing mobile clinics, and fostering women’s income generation projects.

Endangered Species

Endangered Species Chocolate stresses principles such as reverence for life and ethical trade. Their wrappers increase awareness of species that are currently threatened or endangered. Ten percent of all net profits are given to support species, habitat, and humanity.

Equal Exchange

Working with three different farmer cooperatives in the Dominican Republic, Equal Exchange organic chocolate products are both organic and fair trade. The company also produces teas, snacks, and coffee.

Green & Black’s

Merging the “green” of organic chocolate production principles with the “black” of a decadent life, Green & Black’s is both delicious and sustainable. They choose only organic and fairly traded chocolate ingredients.

Grenada Chocolate Company

For Granada Chocolate Company, it’s not enough to purchase Certified Organic cocoa beans-they must grow the beans themselves. Working with organic farmers’ cooperatives, they grow the beans and then use solar-powered machines to make the chocolate.

Ithaca Fine Chocolates

At Ithaca Fine Chocolates, the aim is to produce exquisite chocolate (using Swiss chocolatier methods) that’s also Fair Trade Certified. They also only purchase USDA Certified Organic ingredients. Their wrappers, art cards, and display boxes are made from recycled paper as well.

Newman’s Own Organics

A company founded by Paul Newman, Newman’s Own Organics carries Signature Series Chocolate which is USDA Certified Organic and made from ingredients grown on Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.

Seeds of Change

Working to keep organic, open-pollinated seeds available for farmers and gardeners worldwide, Seeds of Change also produces some organic food and has recently developed a line of chocolate made from organically-grown cocoa, fruits, nuts, and spices from around the world.

Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates

Based in California, Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates are Certified Organic by the Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) organization.

Terra Nostra Organic

A Vancouver, Canada company, Terra Nostra Organic Chocolate is Certified Organic and known for its magnificent taste and luxuriant finish. The company is also a founding member of Equitable Trade which strives to encourage ethically traded and organic chocolate farming methods for their suppliers.

Vintage Plantations

With the Rainforest Alliance stamp of approval, Vintage Plantations chocolate is made from Ecuadorian cocoa so you know that it’s both eco-friendly and ethically traded.

Knowing where to buy fair trade chocolate

Now that you know what fair trade chocolate brands and organic chocolate companies to look for, you may also need some help knowing where to buy organic and fair trade chocolates (some artisans and producers don’t sell their wares online). To help you out, here are some tools to help you know where to buy eco-friendly and ethical chocolates:

Global Exchange carries a wide range of Fair Trade Certified products, including chocolate, coffee, tea, crafts, clothing, jewelry, and more. TransFair USA maintains a list of national cafes, restaurants, and retailers carrying their Fair Trade Certified food products. The Chocolate Room carries some fair trade and organic chocolate bars. You can find Vintage Plantations fair trade chocolates at World Wide Chocolate online.
Choose Earth Friendly Chocolate for Gift Giving

Holidays throughout the year are popular occasions for buying chocolate as gifts. But this year, as you shop the isles or search online, keep earth friendly chocolate gifts in mind, especially when you come to the events here:

Valentine’s

Treat your sweetheart to a box of chocolates that are Certified Organic or that have the Fair Trade Certification seal.

Christmas/Hanukkah

Stock up with Hanukkah Gelt that’s Certified Organic and look for advent calendars and stocking stuffers for Christmas that are Fair Trade Certified.

Mother’s Day

Surprise your Mom with a bouquet of chocolates that are healthier for her and that ensured women around the world were treated with dignity and respect. Fair Trade is the only way to go for this occasion.

Father’s Day

If your Father has a sweet tooth, give him a real treat by purchasing organic chocolates that were produced using cocoa beans raised on farms that are pesticide and fertilizer-free. These will hit the spot without hurting the farmers.

Easter

Don’t let the Easter bunny bring your children chocolates that were made using child slave labor! Choose Fair Trade Certified chocolates instead.

Halloween

Send trick-or-treaters home with sweets that won’t create health problems for them later. Organic chocolates that are toxin-free are a great alternative to conventional treats.

Weddings

If it’s your time to plan a spectacular day to celebrate your love, do so with favors that are ethical to add a green, socially-conscious flare to your day. Look for the fair trade and organic seals for your cake, too!

Boys are stupid, throw rocks at them! is a slogan on a T-shirt by Florida company David and Goliath. The slogan is printed next to a cartoon image of a boy running away from five stones flying in his direction. People magazine ran a story on the T-shirt, opening with a quote from a then 10 year-old girl, “I want to make boys feel bad because it’s fun.”[1] (See Schadenfreude.)

http://www.himfr.com/buy-Stretch_Shirt/”>Stretch ShirtIn December 2003,[2] radio-host and masculist Glenn Sacks started a campaign against the T-shirts, on the grounds of misandry. This raised national attention and led to the removal of the shirts from several thousand retail outlets.

The debate between Sacks and the clothing designer, Todd Goldman, was covered by hundreds of television and radio stations. More than 300 publications in half a dozen countries ran articles covering the issue. These included TIME, Forbes, The Washington Post, and The Guardian in the United Kingdom.[5]

The phrase may have been a response, or the origin of the phrase (or viceversa): I am a woman, watch me shop.

The T-shirt was designed by company founder Todd Goldman, who started David and Goliath in 1999 with “Boys are Smelly” T-shirts. It now features clothes with a variety of slogans, such as “Boys tell lies, poke them in the eyes!” or “The stupid factory, where boys are made”. “Boys are stupid …” has evolved into a successful object for merchandise, which includes all types of clothes, mugs, key chains, posters and other items. In 2005 Goldman published a book with the same title (ISBN 0-7611-3593-6). In 2006, it was translated and published in Russia.[6]

Goldman claims that the campaign against his company boosted its sales. According to the Wall Street Journal, the sales volume of David and Goliath was expected to rise to US$ 100 million in 2005, up from US$ 90 million in the previous year.

Los Angeles based radio host and masculist Glenn Sacks initiated a campaign against the T-shirts in 2003. He claimed that they were part of a general societal mood that stigmatizes and victimizes boys.[7] The company says that their shirts are meant only to be humorous.[8]

The campaign against the line received support from several masculist groups, such as the National Coalition of Free Men, but also from groups with broader agendas, such as the Southern Poverty Law Center.[9] Many critics of the T-shirts pointed out that similar slogans directed against girls or ethnic groups would be widely regarded as unacceptable. The Canadian Children’s Rights Council termed the slogan hate speech.[10] The campaign led to the removal of the shirts by several retailers, including Bon-Macy’s, and Claire’s, a total of more than 3,000 retail outlets. The slogan has also been criticized by Bernard Goldberg in his book, 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America, where Todd Goldman, the shirts’ creator, was listed as number 97.

In a Boulder Daily Camera article,[11] later condemned by its editorial board,[12] Linda Scott, faculty member at University of Illinois, expressed support for the T-shirts as revenge for boys’ “bullying”. The National Organization for Women (NOW) discounted the issue as unimportant and depicted Sacks as hypocritical, alleging he publicizes anti-women views in his radio broadcasts.[13] Helen Grieco, Executive Director of NOW California, described Sacks as a “shock-jock radio host”. She also said “[At NOW we] don’t have time for T-shirt campaigns.”[14] Others, like San Francisco Chronicle columnist Jane Ganahl ridiculed Sacks’ efforts in an article saying, “shut up and get a life, already”. [15] Rush Limbaugh criticized this approach.[16] Ganahl argued that the T-shirts are perceived as harmless fun by children and that sexism against women is a far more widespread and substantial problem in United States’ society.

Glenn Sacks responded to criticism of the campaign, asserting that the criticism was dismissive of the feelings of boys and that the idea that boys should laugh at the joke at their expense creates a “double bind” for boys.

In Canada, the complaints by the Canadian Children’s Rights Council resulted in numerous major retail chain stores stopping their sales of the merchandise.[8] The Bay, Canada’s oldest retailer and one of the largest retailers in Canada, was persuaded by the Canadian Children’s Rights Council not only to discontinue selling the merchandise, but to not purchase anything in the future from the company manufacturing the T-shirts and merchandise. Wal-Mart Canada was also contacted and refused to carry any more of these products.[citation needed]

Sacks and Goldman were invited to air their debate on the Consumer News and Business Channel.

The televised debate took place on the February 24, 2004, hosted by Dylan Ratigan.[21] Ratigan opened the show by displaying pictures of the T-shirts and asking Sacks, “what’s the issue? They’re having a good time here.” Sacks, a former high school teacher, replied “yes, it’s humor, but it’s adult humor being played out on little boys. Twelve year-old boys don’t get the humor, but they feel the insult.”

Goldman was asked if he felt an “obligation to consider the impact” of the products on young boys. He replied, “no” but claimed, “we sell [to] 16, 17, 18 year-olds, you know, college students.” Sacks objected that Goldman had been quoted saying the products were his “top selling junior line.”

Goldman pointed out that his company sells many “positive shirts, including ones with the slogans ‘It’s all about me’ and ‘Chicks Rule!’” He noted that he was very pleased with the extra publicity Sacks’ campaign had generated, and that sales had increased. Ratigan, as host, asked Sacks if he thought this meant his campaign had backfired. Sacks said, “we’ve knocked ‘Boys are Stupid’ products out of 3,500 stores — that has to have an effect.”

Goldman claimed his products had only lost “five percent” of their retail outlets. Ratigan, clearly dubious pressed him further on the point and Goldman conceded, “yes I guess it has been over 3,000.” Ratigan replied, “Todd, that’s an awful lot of retail stores.”

Sacks took the opportunity to note, “I can’t even find the ‘Boys are Stupid’ products anywhere. I can’t continue the campaign because we can’t even find anyone who still has the stuff.” Goldman replied, “you need to get out more.”[22] Ratigan closed the show, offering Goldman, “congratulations on the success of your business.”

The “Boys are stupid …” theme has become an icon in the ongoing debates regarding gender issues.

“The age-old gender war is being sold to our children in new, and some argue, insidious ways,” wrote Jeffrey Zaslow for The New York Times. “If the kiddies want to volunteer for trench duty in fruitless gender wars when they turn 18, that’s their business,” wrote Clay Evans, concerned to see under-18s have a less adversarial introduction to learning to relate to the opposite sex. Emily Garringer also makes reference to the famous T-shirt in the course of her analyses of male and female habits in dating practices.

Avril Lavigne has shown that she acknowledges the shirt, and apparently, thinks that it is humorous. On a radio show, when asked what she thought about boys, she replied suddenly, “Boys are stupid, throw rocks at them!”[unreliable source?] This made the surrounding women around her, as well as the male radio-cast of men, and the male radioshow host, all laugh and agree with her.

However, Goldman himself says that his T-shirts have nothing to do with the girl-power movement, “I’m a guy. I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about girl empowerment. Our market is teenage girls. I know what sells.”

Finding accommodation for Boston Hotels is really very easy. If you are planning a trip to this historic home of Harvard University, there are many Boston hotels that offer luxurious, medium, and budget accommodations. The Boston hotels that you wish to stay in will obviously be dictated by your budget, and as this is a university city, there are hotels that cater for students, professors, parents, and tourists. Boston is the capital city of Massachusetts and is one of the major cultural centers of New England.

Although there are not a huge amount of Boston hotels, there are more than enough hotels in Boston to cater for the needs of the traveler during any season of the year. This city has a rich history and there are several museums, very good restaurants and many other sights to be seen. Travelers are able to reach the Hub in Boston from Philadelphia, Washington DC, and New York by high speed train and low cost bus lines.

Boston Hotels in Downtown Boston

It makes sense if you are travelling to this city that you would want to stay in a Boston hotel. Amongst the popular downtown Boston hotels you will find the Hyatt Regency, which is situated one block away from the Boston Common, a great tourist attraction; the Seaport Hotel, which is situated close to the World Trade Center on the Boston Harbor; the Comfort Inn, close to Logan Airport and the Nine Zero Hotel at the very center of downtown Boston. This list of Boston hotels does not encompass all of the Hotels in Boston, but they do provide great accommodation that allows easy access to the New England Aquarium, a major attraction of this city, in addition to other entertainment and attractions, such as bars and restaurants.

The city of Boston is considered a melting pot of cultures and lifestyles, an intellectual haven, and a very influential American city. It is also known as one of the richest cities in the US. This does not mean that hotels in Boston are the most expensive in the US, if you are on a budget, cheap Boston hotels, hostels and other forms of accommodation are also available.

Boston Hotels for reasonable costs

Bearing in mind all the attractions that the city of Boston has to offer, staying in a Boston hotel does not have to be a bank breaking experience. Reasonably priced hotels in Boston may be found close to the center of its nightlife, and these afford the traveler the opportunity to discover many exciting things to do for next to nothing. It is not surprising that this city is known as the “Athens of America”. Taking a stroll down the cobbled streets of Quincy Market is free of cost, and there are fabulous bakeries, restaurants, and boutiques in the market. This attraction can keep the traveler entertained for an entire day. Visiting historic buildings is another attraction that is cheap and entertaining; as Boston is not a very large city, it is easy to get around using their convenient and efficient public transport system.

Boston hotels are readily available to visitors traveling to the city. There are a great deal of attractions to be seen in this city, and budget hotels in Boston are easily found.