Saturday, April 28, 2012
Back with Great News!
I know I haven't been posting for a bit....okay a really long time, but that was because I'm not going to lie: I got sidetracked. Sports, school, homework, the whole thing. What really counts is that I'm back and I'm planning on keeping up the blog more than I have been.
ANYWAY
My great news is that Fair Trade day is coming up! World Fair Trade day is a global trade festival. That's right- FAIR TRADE DAY! It's an actual day.
It is Saturday, May 12
I understand that at one of my favorite stores ever, Ten Thousand Villages, in Red Bank, NJ, are celebrating this day from 12-4pm.
For more information visit wftday.com
Ginger
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Fair Trade Party!!!
Hi it's Caroline!
As you know, the purpose of this blog is to help us with our Girl Scout silver award. That said, we need a specific number of hours, (50) that need to be compleated by a deadline (by the start of high school). To say the least, we needed lots of hours, and the pressure was on. So, we are insanely lucky to have our parents helping us, and Ginger's mom came up with an idea to get us a lot of hours. What about a party? We could invite some friends, talk to them about fair trade, display fair trade products, and even make some fair trade food for them to eat. Ginger and I split up the party planning duties, and got to work.
For the party, I made fair trade frozen chocolate and icing, while Ginger made stir-fry and some AMAZING fair trade chocolate chip cookies, and some fair trade cupcakes for the icing. Well, when I saw what my party jobs were, I thought, "Just cooking? Yeah, that's got to be easy!" I can cook basic things. Like boiling pasta. Not anything too complicated. ESPECIALLY not something that would require double boiling melted chocolate. Yeah, that frozen hot chocolate is still giving me anxiety issues, after a total cooking time of 1 1/2 hours! :)
In all, the party was a huge success, giving our friends the opprotunity to try fair trade products widely avalible in our area. We were even able to interview a few party guests about what they had learned about fair trade. Hopefully Ginger will post those videos soon (since I as always forgot my camera at home :) and you can all see the influence of just telling someone, how much you can influence the success of fair trade!
As you know, the purpose of this blog is to help us with our Girl Scout silver award. That said, we need a specific number of hours, (50) that need to be compleated by a deadline (by the start of high school). To say the least, we needed lots of hours, and the pressure was on. So, we are insanely lucky to have our parents helping us, and Ginger's mom came up with an idea to get us a lot of hours. What about a party? We could invite some friends, talk to them about fair trade, display fair trade products, and even make some fair trade food for them to eat. Ginger and I split up the party planning duties, and got to work.
For the party, I made fair trade frozen chocolate and icing, while Ginger made stir-fry and some AMAZING fair trade chocolate chip cookies, and some fair trade cupcakes for the icing. Well, when I saw what my party jobs were, I thought, "Just cooking? Yeah, that's got to be easy!" I can cook basic things. Like boiling pasta. Not anything too complicated. ESPECIALLY not something that would require double boiling melted chocolate. Yeah, that frozen hot chocolate is still giving me anxiety issues, after a total cooking time of 1 1/2 hours! :)
In all, the party was a huge success, giving our friends the opprotunity to try fair trade products widely avalible in our area. We were even able to interview a few party guests about what they had learned about fair trade. Hopefully Ginger will post those videos soon (since I as always forgot my camera at home :) and you can all see the influence of just telling someone, how much you can influence the success of fair trade!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
How Aware Are We?
Hi it's Ginger!
As you may have noticed many people seem to lack awareness of Fair Trade. I myself wasn't very aware until I went to Dominican Republic and saw all the factories from both sides (shopper and worker).
Caroline and I took this into account when we went educating younger girls (in eliminatory school girls in girls scout troops) about Fair Trade. Before giving our lesson we gave out a True or False questionnaire of five question. They included the following.
1. Fair Trade is a charity T F
2. Fair Trade makes things expensive T F
3. Fair Trade and Organic have the same meaning T F
4. Fair Trade only effects people in poor places T F
5. When I buy something in a store it doesn't affect someone somewhere else T F
After we went over the answers on the questionnaire i collected some of them back to see the results. Most of the girls admitted that they had guessed out of most of them and didn't really know what Fair Trade was at all. Out of the ones I took back to look at, none of the girls got 100% correct.
I asked the girls if they had ever heard of Fair Trade and depending upon the group (usually around 15 girls per group) one or two had heard the term Fair Trade.
Thinking the results I found from the questionnaire and just asking the troops questions was because they were younger I took trying to educate youth with more lessens.
To my surprise I was wrong about unawareness due to age.
When going to Fair Trade places and asking the workers what products were Fair Trade many of the workers did not know what it was either. Many workers didn't know which products in the store were Fair Trade or after reciting the items in stock to us they would ask what Fair Trade was.
Considering that the goal or Fair Trade is to get people to buy Fair Trade items- it is a problem that people don't know what Fair Trade is. I hope this blog showed you how so many people are unaware of Fair Trade.
The only way to get people to be Fair Trade savvy is to get people to know what it is in the first place.
It is up to us to spread awareness to everyone.
As you may have noticed many people seem to lack awareness of Fair Trade. I myself wasn't very aware until I went to Dominican Republic and saw all the factories from both sides (shopper and worker).
Caroline and I took this into account when we went educating younger girls (in eliminatory school girls in girls scout troops) about Fair Trade. Before giving our lesson we gave out a True or False questionnaire of five question. They included the following.
1. Fair Trade is a charity T F
2. Fair Trade makes things expensive T F
3. Fair Trade and Organic have the same meaning T F
4. Fair Trade only effects people in poor places T F
5. When I buy something in a store it doesn't affect someone somewhere else T F
After we went over the answers on the questionnaire i collected some of them back to see the results. Most of the girls admitted that they had guessed out of most of them and didn't really know what Fair Trade was at all. Out of the ones I took back to look at, none of the girls got 100% correct.
I asked the girls if they had ever heard of Fair Trade and depending upon the group (usually around 15 girls per group) one or two had heard the term Fair Trade.
Thinking the results I found from the questionnaire and just asking the troops questions was because they were younger I took trying to educate youth with more lessens.
To my surprise I was wrong about unawareness due to age.
When going to Fair Trade places and asking the workers what products were Fair Trade many of the workers did not know what it was either. Many workers didn't know which products in the store were Fair Trade or after reciting the items in stock to us they would ask what Fair Trade was.
Considering that the goal or Fair Trade is to get people to buy Fair Trade items- it is a problem that people don't know what Fair Trade is. I hope this blog showed you how so many people are unaware of Fair Trade.
The only way to get people to be Fair Trade savvy is to get people to know what it is in the first place.
It is up to us to spread awareness to everyone.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Alter Eco
Hi it's Caroline!
So, today, I'm not just writing about a product, I'm writing about a whole fair-trade COMPANY! I know, it's hard to believe that there's an entire brand dedicated to fair trade, and the products are STILL not easy to find! The brand is called Alter Eco, an it includes rice, grains, chocolate, any type of food that can be made fair trade. I mentioned one of their types of chocolate, dark chocolate almond, in one of my previous blogs about fair trade vs. non-fair trade chocolate. What makes Alter Eco different from other brands, is that they give you a sort of backstory on the product and the producer. They tell you where it's from, what cooperative, and what it was used for by the natives of that area originally. Some of the products are even organic. My mom decided to buy the pearl quinoa and the purple jasmine rice. The quinoa is grown in Bolivia, where it was originally used by the Incas, and the rie is grown is grown in Thailand, where t has traditionally been used as a staple for hundreds of years. They also show your impact on the earth right on the back. For example, the back of the jasmine rice says: 150 farmers benefit, there's a 60% increase in farmer's revenue, your purchase finances: rice mill and packing faciliy, construction of a health clinic, and social security program, and one tree is planted for every 167 packs of rice. Phew, all that, just because of one little package of rice? That takes helping the earth to a whole new level! :)
So, today, I'm not just writing about a product, I'm writing about a whole fair-trade COMPANY! I know, it's hard to believe that there's an entire brand dedicated to fair trade, and the products are STILL not easy to find! The brand is called Alter Eco, an it includes rice, grains, chocolate, any type of food that can be made fair trade. I mentioned one of their types of chocolate, dark chocolate almond, in one of my previous blogs about fair trade vs. non-fair trade chocolate. What makes Alter Eco different from other brands, is that they give you a sort of backstory on the product and the producer. They tell you where it's from, what cooperative, and what it was used for by the natives of that area originally. Some of the products are even organic. My mom decided to buy the pearl quinoa and the purple jasmine rice. The quinoa is grown in Bolivia, where it was originally used by the Incas, and the rie is grown is grown in Thailand, where t has traditionally been used as a staple for hundreds of years. They also show your impact on the earth right on the back. For example, the back of the jasmine rice says: 150 farmers benefit, there's a 60% increase in farmer's revenue, your purchase finances: rice mill and packing faciliy, construction of a health clinic, and social security program, and one tree is planted for every 167 packs of rice. Phew, all that, just because of one little package of rice? That takes helping the earth to a whole new level! :)
Fair Trade Quinoa
Monday, July 4, 2011
The most important question...
Hi it's Caroline!
Today, your most important fair-trade question will be answered. Which is better: fair trade or regular: CHOCOLATE! And yes, even though it is one of the most popular fair trade items, i think it deserves some recognition for its hard work! Chocolate has one of the biggest buyer markets in fair trade, since it is a well-know product. Here, I get to compare two different brands, Hershey's Milk Chocolate and Alter Eco Fair Trade Dark Chocolate Almond, grown at the El Ceibo Cooperative in Bolivia. A fair trade cooperative is essentially a fair trade farm where cocoa beans (in this case) are grown. Meanwhile, Hershey's cocoa is grown in Mexico, on a non fair trade farm. Fair trade vs. not. Let the battle begin! :)
Fair trade: This bar contained sun dried and slow-roasted almonds. It was dark chcolate, so it was more bitter than your average chocolate. It was really good, to my surprise, since I'm not a huge fan of dark chocolate. The almonds added a really good flavoring, and even though it wasn't milk chocolate, it was a better alternative for your health and the world!
Normal: A Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar, nothing fancy or expensive. Milk chocolate, no additives, unless you count lots and lots of SUGAR! A little bland and too sweet, but not to bad on a s'more.
So, which one is the winner? It depends on what you're using it for. Just eating some chocolate for dessert? Go for the Dark Chocolate Almond. Making some s'mores with little kids? Stick with the milk chocolate. Either way, they were both good in their own ways. My choice? The almond, or course. It helps the world, and benefits the farmers who grow the ingredients for it. :)
Fair Trade
Non fair-trade
Today, your most important fair-trade question will be answered. Which is better: fair trade or regular: CHOCOLATE! And yes, even though it is one of the most popular fair trade items, i think it deserves some recognition for its hard work! Chocolate has one of the biggest buyer markets in fair trade, since it is a well-know product. Here, I get to compare two different brands, Hershey's Milk Chocolate and Alter Eco Fair Trade Dark Chocolate Almond, grown at the El Ceibo Cooperative in Bolivia. A fair trade cooperative is essentially a fair trade farm where cocoa beans (in this case) are grown. Meanwhile, Hershey's cocoa is grown in Mexico, on a non fair trade farm. Fair trade vs. not. Let the battle begin! :)
Fair trade: This bar contained sun dried and slow-roasted almonds. It was dark chcolate, so it was more bitter than your average chocolate. It was really good, to my surprise, since I'm not a huge fan of dark chocolate. The almonds added a really good flavoring, and even though it wasn't milk chocolate, it was a better alternative for your health and the world!
Normal: A Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar, nothing fancy or expensive. Milk chocolate, no additives, unless you count lots and lots of SUGAR! A little bland and too sweet, but not to bad on a s'more.
So, which one is the winner? It depends on what you're using it for. Just eating some chocolate for dessert? Go for the Dark Chocolate Almond. Making some s'mores with little kids? Stick with the milk chocolate. Either way, they were both good in their own ways. My choice? The almond, or course. It helps the world, and benefits the farmers who grow the ingredients for it. :)
Fair Trade Non fair-trade
Monday, June 27, 2011
Coffee Break!
Hi it's Caroline!
So, if you're reading this blog, you probably know this is all about educating people about "the alternative ways of fair trade, aside from coffee, chocolate. and tea." Well, with this blog, I'm kind of going away from those with my topic: coffee!!! If you're like me, there's nothing you wouldn't do for a good cup of coffee. Being a teenager, coffee is important to my very existence. In my house, my mom, my dad, and I all drink coffee. Before this blog, I didn't, (and still don't know how) to make coffee in a coffee maker. Usually I just tried to get some of what my mom was drinking, not really caring about where my coffee came from. After this, I realized that coffee is one of the biggest offenders in the fair trade world, I thought, "This really DOES effect people. I mean, look at how many people drink coffee!" If we all buy fair trade, then that really does make a difference! Say you go to the grocery store. You probably go on auto-pilot and pick out your go-to favorite coffee. Sometimes fair trade, sometimes not. Does it really matter? Hey, you get your caffine boost and some pretty good coffee. So is fair trade really that important? The difference of fair trade and non-fair trade is that, with fair trade, everyone who makes that coffee is paid fairly for it. It's the difference between right and wrong. If you don't buy that fair trade coffee, how can you expect someone else to? To buy fair trade coffee is an easy way to help the world, in the comfort of your own kitchen. A little thing to change the world in a big way? Yes, please! :)
The coffee you're getting....
The people you're helping. :)
So, if you're reading this blog, you probably know this is all about educating people about "the alternative ways of fair trade, aside from coffee, chocolate. and tea." Well, with this blog, I'm kind of going away from those with my topic: coffee!!! If you're like me, there's nothing you wouldn't do for a good cup of coffee. Being a teenager, coffee is important to my very existence. In my house, my mom, my dad, and I all drink coffee. Before this blog, I didn't, (and still don't know how) to make coffee in a coffee maker. Usually I just tried to get some of what my mom was drinking, not really caring about where my coffee came from. After this, I realized that coffee is one of the biggest offenders in the fair trade world, I thought, "This really DOES effect people. I mean, look at how many people drink coffee!" If we all buy fair trade, then that really does make a difference! Say you go to the grocery store. You probably go on auto-pilot and pick out your go-to favorite coffee. Sometimes fair trade, sometimes not. Does it really matter? Hey, you get your caffine boost and some pretty good coffee. So is fair trade really that important? The difference of fair trade and non-fair trade is that, with fair trade, everyone who makes that coffee is paid fairly for it. It's the difference between right and wrong. If you don't buy that fair trade coffee, how can you expect someone else to? To buy fair trade coffee is an easy way to help the world, in the comfort of your own kitchen. A little thing to change the world in a big way? Yes, please! :)
The coffee you're getting.... The people you're helping. :)
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Perfect gifts for everyone!
Hi it's Caroline!
When buying a gift for someone, what do you think about first? Is it, "Will they like this?" or "This is so cool, I wish I had it!" Not, "Is this fair trade or not?" But, aside from popular belief, you CAN get amazingly inexpensive gifts, which also happen to be fair trade. At Ten Thousand Villages, which has a store in Red Bank, you can buy jewelry, sculptures, stationary, and children's toys, all fair trade and affordable. When I graduated last week, I recieved many gifts from Ten Thousand Villages, since a lot of my friends and family know about this blog. For me, these are the best gifts, since it's not only benefiting me, but I know that when I wear my fair trade necklace, or use my fair trade soap, that I am also helping someone else from a different part of the world. Whenever I can't think of what to get someone, (which is often, since I never buy gifts until the last minute :) ) I always go to Ten Thousand Villages, since they always have the perfect gift for everyone!
Fair Trade necklaces! :)
When buying a gift for someone, what do you think about first? Is it, "Will they like this?" or "This is so cool, I wish I had it!" Not, "Is this fair trade or not?" But, aside from popular belief, you CAN get amazingly inexpensive gifts, which also happen to be fair trade. At Ten Thousand Villages, which has a store in Red Bank, you can buy jewelry, sculptures, stationary, and children's toys, all fair trade and affordable. When I graduated last week, I recieved many gifts from Ten Thousand Villages, since a lot of my friends and family know about this blog. For me, these are the best gifts, since it's not only benefiting me, but I know that when I wear my fair trade necklace, or use my fair trade soap, that I am also helping someone else from a different part of the world. Whenever I can't think of what to get someone, (which is often, since I never buy gifts until the last minute :) ) I always go to Ten Thousand Villages, since they always have the perfect gift for everyone!
Fair Trade necklaces! :)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)