Rice powder is used in beauty products
by Keri Lehmann
A survey was released recently on www.slaveryfootprint.org that went so viral the website had to take a pause to upgrade its server…to more than 50 times its original capacity, it says.
It was a survey that allowed the consumer to identify his or her slavery footprint (the number of slaves that may have been involved with the making of various products used by the consumer). After taking a short survey on the types of everyday products you buy, the site gives you back a report on where products are made, the slave trade involved and the conditions of the work field.
The organization’s Facebook page gained more than 4,600 fans in its first six days of inception.
International supply chains can be poorly regulated for fair labor conditions. The lack of regulations or accountability among suppliers becomes a conducive environment for human trafficking and indentured servitude situations among impoverished nations.
Laborers of basic supplies like coffee, cocoa, oils, nuts, sugar, grains, cotton, honey, tea, spices, and mica – all ingredients that we consume in America daily, are being forced to work in inhumane conditions, oftentimes under threat of harm, as well as sexual exploitation, with little or no pay. It is estimated that today, there are between 10 million and 30 million slaves in the world. And plenty of them are children.
Fortunately, as we as a society of free people are becoming aware of the atrocities surrounding the products that we consume, many groups and organizations are forming to activate change. One of my friends in Portland, Greg Russinger, organized the non-profit campaign, “One Voice to End Slavery“, is to raise awareness of global sex and labor slave trade.
They have established hubs throughout the United States to educate others on the issues of modern day slavery. Their campaign is, thankfully, one of many that are springing forth from the concern for our brothers and sisters around the world. I am certain that as we consider more carefully our purchases and their origins, we can change the way our world conducts business.
Fair Trade certified products is another way we can make a difference in the lives of workers around the world. The Fair Trade certification process allows consumers peace of mind in knowing the supplier was paid a fair wage for the product. It also guarantees laborers were treated fairly, were employed in good working conditions, and were given tools to thrive as business people. The Fair Trade system uses a market-based approach that provides the laborers resources for healthy and sustainable lives.
In addition, brands that carry the Fair Trade logo not only commit to purchasing Fair Trade certified ingredients or supplies, but also donate a portion of the proceeds of the sale of their products back into the Fair Trade system. I call it a “double portion”- and I like that a lot!
Within the beauty industry, the Fair Trade Cooperative is creating a huge impact on the lives of farmers and producers of raw materials. Cocoa butter, a very popular ingredient in cosmetic and beauty products, is one of the most notoriously unethically sourced ingredients on the planet.
Cocoa production has been declining due to lack of sustainability (because of the low wages buyers are paying producers), and some of the worst cases of child labor are found on cocoa farms. However, Fair Trade cooperatives are steadily increasing among the cocoa farms, and as of today, there are 14 cooperatives with approximately 17,000 cocoa farmers in Cote D’Ivoire alone (which produces an estimate of 35% of the world’s cocoa) participating in Fair Trade, and 16 more cooperatives are currently seeking certification.
That means that farmers will be carefully assisted in the reconstruction of ethical farming practices, including increased product costs to sustain crops and regrowth for future, increased wages to farmers to invest back into business and communities, and ability to break poverty cycles and improve personal living conditions. Through Fair Trade USA (the leading certifier of Fair Trade products in America), as of 2002, over $1.25 million have been donated to the Fair Trade cocoa cooperatives for community development. With premiums like that, I would guess that it is fair to say that “Every Purchase Matters”.
Incidentally, JUST LAST WEEK, Fair Trade USA announced its partnership with a highly respected third party certification company, Scientific Certification Systems. This partnership will allow millions more farmers to benefit from the Fair Trade system, while also providing business with more Fair Trade supply options, and consumers more purchasing options. Their strategy is to double the Fair Trade impact by 2015.
Based on the amount of assistance and intent that my company received going through the certification process, I am pretty sure they’ll meet that goal! In quoting the folks at Fair Trade USA, “With Fair Trade USA, the money you spend on day-to-day goods can improve an entire community’s day-to-day lives.”
Can you imagine making a small change that would improve an entire community’s day to day lives?
Let’s see if we can decrease our “slavery footprint” exponentially… For more on identifying suppliers of your purchases, check out www.slaveryfootprint.org, or download the free Android app “Free World“. (iPhone app in the works)
Also, to learn more about Fair Trade USA, click here. And for more about “One Voice to End Slavery”, click here.
And finally, in honor of Fair Trade Month (October), Fair Trade USA has released an app for Facebook, iPhone, and Android, that helps locate fair trade products near your area. Very cool!
Keri Lehmann is a licensed cosmetologist who used her knowledge of skin care to create a line of body care products made with REAL ingredients that the body recognizes and knows what to do with…Savvy Bohème: Welcome to the Most Authentic Moisturizing Event of Your Day.
Photo by Worakit Sirijinda.
Rice powder is used in beauty products
by Keri Lehmann
A survey was released recently on www.slaveryfootprint.org that went so viral the website had to take a pause to upgrade its server…to more than 50 times its original capacity, it says.
It was a survey that allowed the consumer to identify his or her slavery footprint (the number of slaves that may have been involved with the making of various products used by the consumer). After taking a short survey on the types of everyday products you buy, the site gives you back a report on where products are made, the slave trade involved and the conditions of the work field.
The organization’s Facebook page gained more than 4,600 fans in its first six days of inception.
International supply chains can be poorly regulated for fair labor conditions. The lack of regulations or accountability among suppliers becomes a conducive environment for human trafficking and indentured servitude situations among impoverished nations.
Laborers of basic supplies like coffee, cocoa, oils, nuts, sugar, grains, cotton, honey, tea, spices, and mica – all ingredients that we consume in America daily, are being forced to work in inhumane conditions, oftentimes under threat of harm, as well as sexual exploitation, with little or no pay. It is estimated that today, there are between 10 million and 30 million slaves in the world. And plenty of them are children.
Fortunately, as we as a society of free people are becoming aware of the atrocities surrounding the products that we consume, many groups and organizations are forming to activate change. One of my friends in Portland, Greg Russinger, organized the non-profit campaign, “One Voice to End Slavery“, is to raise awareness of global sex and labor slave trade.
They have established hubs throughout the United States to educate others on the issues of modern day slavery. Their campaign is, thankfully, one of many that are springing forth from the concern for our brothers and sisters around the world. I am certain that as we consider more carefully our purchases and their origins, we can change the way our world conducts business.
Fair Trade certified products is another way we can make a difference in the lives of workers around the world. The Fair Trade certification process allows consumers peace of mind in knowing the supplier was paid a fair wage for the product. It also guarantees laborers were treated fairly, were employed in good working conditions, and were given tools to thrive as business people. The Fair Trade system uses a market-based approach that provides the laborers resources for healthy and sustainable lives.
In addition, brands that carry the Fair Trade logo not only commit to purchasing Fair Trade certified ingredients or supplies, but also donate a portion of the proceeds of the sale of their products back into the Fair Trade system. I call it a “double portion”- and I like that a lot!
Within the beauty industry, the Fair Trade Cooperative is creating a huge impact on the lives of farmers and producers of raw materials. Cocoa butter, a very popular ingredient in cosmetic and beauty products, is one of the most notoriously unethically sourced ingredients on the planet.
Cocoa production has been declining due to lack of sustainability (because of the low wages buyers are paying producers), and some of the worst cases of child labor are found on cocoa farms. However, Fair Trade cooperatives are steadily increasing among the cocoa farms, and as of today, there are 14 cooperatives with approximately 17,000 cocoa farmers in Cote D’Ivoire alone (which produces an estimate of 35% of the world’s cocoa) participating in Fair Trade, and 16 more cooperatives are currently seeking certification.
That means that farmers will be carefully assisted in the reconstruction of ethical farming practices, including increased product costs to sustain crops and regrowth for future, increased wages to farmers to invest back into business and communities, and ability to break poverty cycles and improve personal living conditions. Through Fair Trade USA (the leading certifier of Fair Trade products in America), as of 2002, over $1.25 million have been donated to the Fair Trade cocoa cooperatives for community development. With premiums like that, I would guess that it is fair to say that “Every Purchase Matters”.
Incidentally, JUST LAST WEEK, Fair Trade USA announced its partnership with a highly respected third party certification company, Scientific Certification Systems. This partnership will allow millions more farmers to benefit from the Fair Trade system, while also providing business with more Fair Trade supply options, and consumers more purchasing options. Their strategy is to double the Fair Trade impact by 2015.
Based on the amount of assistance and intent that my company received going through the certification process, I am pretty sure they’ll meet that goal! In quoting the folks at Fair Trade USA, “With Fair Trade USA, the money you spend on day-to-day goods can improve an entire community’s day-to-day lives.”
Can you imagine making a small change that would improve an entire community’s day to day lives?
Let’s see if we can decrease our “slavery footprint” exponentially… For more on identifying suppliers of your purchases, check out www.slaveryfootprint.org, or download the free Android app “Free World“. (iPhone app in the works)
Also, to learn more about Fair Trade USA, click here. And for more about “One Voice to End Slavery”, click here.
And finally, in honor of Fair Trade Month (October), Fair Trade USA has released an app for Facebook, iPhone, and Android, that helps locate fair trade products near your area. Very cool!
Keri Lehmann is a licensed cosmetologist who used her knowledge of skin care to create a line of body care products made with REAL ingredients that the body recognizes and knows what to do with…Savvy Bohème: Welcome to the Most Authentic Moisturizing Event of Your Day.
Photo by Worakit Sirijinda.
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Post is filed under Beauty Space -This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 11th, 2011 at 11:32 am and tagged with beauty, fair trade, organic, regulations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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