Natural Latex Rubber - Needs to be Fair Trade

An unseasonably warm, sunny morning; brown haze horizon.


While at the September "Natural" Products Expo, I had a quick conversation with a natural rubber yoga mat maker. The eco qualities of the 100% natural latex rubber yoga mat seemed perfect - PVC free (imagine making a yoga mat with PVC, now there's an oxymoron), 100% rubber, eco dyes, and biodegradable. "Was it Fair Trade?" The shocked (weird?) look I got followed by "No" changed the tone of the conversation. He knew it was from Vietnam but didn't know much more than that; after all, he bought his rubber in bulk which might have included many sources. Given the defensive posturing, we knew it was time to go.

So here was a leading rubber yoga mat maker, well poised in the green world, surrounded by the Fair Trade mantra, and he wasn't sure of his sourcing. I find that fascinating.

Not only are yoga mats a potential source of natural latex and rubber, but pillows, mattresses and toppers are an enormous industry, offering safe, green bedroom alternatives.

Rubber trees originally came from Brazil but were quickly seeded in the colonial Asia territories and Liberia where labor was guaranteed, well, cheap, at least. This is from where most of the world's rubber still comes. In fact, there are campaigns to stop Firestone's destructive practices in Liberia. Goodyear also ranks right up there in abuses. In Asia, forests are being cut down for rubber tree plantations, but some of this is a front in order to continue logging. Horrible labor conditions and wages seem to be the norm but have yet to get the world's attention.

Searching for Fair Trade natural rubber doesn't get you far. There are just a handful of eco sites, but darn few. Most are based in England.

There was one company at Expo East that hopefully will make folks stop and think about sourcing of "natural" products. Flip flops made by Feelgoodz uses 100% rubber but their mission is what makes them so special. (okay, so they are the most comfortable flops ever) They hope to become the first Fair Trade certified rubber product in America, in addition to their triple bottom line commitment.

So many other "natural" products such as food, fabrics, fibers and woods are Fair Trade or at least have SA 8000 certifications. How did rubber slip under the radar?

So, who harvests the rubber trees for your yoga mat? What about your flip flops? Or your latex pillow or mattress? If you have any of these products, I urge you to make a phone call. Ask the company if their rubber is Fair Trade. Ask if they have visited the plantations. Ask what country their rubber comes from. Ask if they know any thing about the sourcing of their rubber. The answers may shock you.

Is Your Halloween Chocolate Happy? List of Certifide Fair Trade and Organic Chocolate

Quiet cloudy day, turkeys roaming in the field.

At least two times a year we find the excuse to give, receive and enjoy chocolate; Valentine's Day and Halloween. The making of cacao has/had developed into a greedy, nasty, chop-down-the-trees, slave oriented business until relatively recently. To combat this awful type of trade, we now have some civilized guarantees with Certified Fair Trade and Certified Organic Chocolate. You would think this is a no brainer, right? Well, with deep regret, I'm here to tell you, we and the chocolate industry have a long way to go.

I say we because most people are not committed to purchasing double certified chocolate, meaning certified both organic and fair trade. I know certifications can be expensive, and for some small companies like Grenada who are committed to not using pesticides, they still lack the certification. While this particular company "does it right", the only way to know at the check out counter (metaphor for impulse buy) if a chocolate bar is both organic and has good labor practices is through certification. I am surprised that more people do not consider these both in unison.

And the chocolate industry... this is voting with your dollars at its best. If you think the chocolate industry is suddenly going to go warm and fuzzy for humanity and the environment, then I have a mountain with a lake and ocean view on it to sell you. They will not change unless their is money to be made or consumers demand it. That means back to you babe.

So how do you vote with your dollars? By buying only double Certified Organic and Fair Trade chocolate. This is not as easy as you think. There are many chocolates that you think are double certified and they are not. For instance Newman's is organic, not Fair Trade. Divine chocolate is Fair Trade but not organic. Trader Joe's cocoa is Fair trade but not organic and their chocolate bar is organic but not fair trade. Green and Black's is very sneaky; their marketing gives the impression they are both organic and fair trade but only their Maya Gold offering is both. Dagoba is another one - all organic but only one of their bars is certified fair trade. A cynic would say these companies purposely have one line of fair trade which then gives the impression that all of their chocolate is. (are you the cynic?) Rapunzel is also marketed as Fair Trade but they only devote a small paragraph on their website to fair trade and use the word "primarily" when they talk about sourcing. This is a good reason why certification guarantees you get what you are expecting.

Need help? Well, here's a list double Certified Organic and Fair trade chocolate bar companies (the whole company, not just one bar). Notice there are only 11 companies devoted to all of their products being double certified, in the world. If I've missed any, please let me know. It would be nice to have an ongoing list.

Alter Eco
Art Bar
Cocoa Camino
Equal Exchange
Health by Chocolate
Shaman Chocolates
Sjaak's Chocolates
Sweet Earth Chocolates
Terra Nostra
Theo Chocolate
Vital Choice

Some people might say that these companies are not considered the best tasting chocolate, that they have sacrificed flavor for their certifications. I ask you, is sacrificing the environment and our fellow human beings worth a little flavor? You can probably guess my answer.

Labor Day and Fair Trade - What Do They Have In Common?

Perfect sunny day - no excuse to labor outside!


Labor Day, the day we were meant to take off and rest. Over 120 years ago our country wanted to pay tribute to ordinary workers. It was during a time when factories were beginning to boom and labor organizations needed to stand up for themselves. It was a day designed to guarantee working men (and women) a day of rest. (which meant the rest of the year they were working their behinds off.) It is too bad that some stores and businesses are open but feel free to not patronize them and make a statement.

Fair Trade, has a varied world history that began for economic reasons so that goods could be traded more on the open market and get the money that was deserved. It has expanded from its original intent to include protection for workers, allowing unionization, no child /slave labor, and transparency. Fair Trade also includes treating then environment right. After all, if you pollute your environment, then your working and living conditions aren't very good.

What they have in common is the acknowledgment of ordinary workers that our country and world can not do without. That ordinary people deserve the basics in life - fair pay, good working conditions, regular unburdensome hours and a day off once in awhile. It is unfortunate that we have to regulate these conditions in light of abuse, but there in lies the human condition.

So on this Labor Day, think about what makes this great country tick, all the workers who are the skeleton of our very fabric. Remember that everything you have has a story and a person behind it. Take the day off yourself and do what you want to do, which could mean working out in the garden. That's where I'm headed.

Really Green? Consider Triple Footprint

The low spots are filled with marshmallow fog with the peaks clear in the distance.


Triple Footprint - You heard it here first.

The production of "things" in our daily lives have a "cost". You've heard of carbon footprint, and maybe heard of chemical footprint but social footprint might be new to you. These are basically the amount of baggage a product carries with it or makes with regard to carbon required start to finish, chemicals used and contained during production and the human touch required. Considering the Triple Footprint will give you a better understanding of the what's behind the green choices you make.

Products can have a very varied history in terms of how much energy was used in its production and transportation. If something is complicated with lots of parts and metals, then you can see that considering even the energy in mining the materials adds up. A small carbon footprint would be made out of something sustainable and local. You can measure your own carbon impact by one of the many sites available.

Chemical footprint considers two things - the chemicals that are used for the entire production of a product and the final list of ingredients. Chemical footprint also includes the chemicals left behind. Most folks don't realize that paper and fabric production require huge amounts of chemicals. Reading the list of ingredients also gives you an idea of the product's chemical footprint. Remember less is more. Look for simple vegetable based ingredients in products when considering chemical footprint in personal care products.

Social footprint is getting more attention through organizations such as fair trade, but is only a small fraction of consumer products. Social footprint should be considered since the human touch is responsible for everything brought to market. So many faces and stories go behind the making of what we buy and use. It's easy to see the social footprint of some things, but other items, like a light bulb, get complicated. I think everyone would agree that all people deserve fair living wages and healthy, safe working conditions. In this global economy, equalizing working conditions and wages will bring about peaceful exchanges between people and countries for a more secure future.

The green industry has embraced the idea of the triple footprint and uses this to separate itself from green washing or businesses trying half heartedly to jump on the band wagon. Stonyfield Yogurt gets the gold star for working the Triple Footprint to the max. Considering the Triple Footprint is what will bring us towards a sustainable future. Considering the Triple Footprint will help you decide green from really green.