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| 1 | Fairtrade And The Christmas Hamper |
Arthor Pens | Internet Business/Shopping | 2007-08-29 |
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The art of selecting just the right gift for the corporate client or personal friend is enhanced by the chance to include Fairtrade chocolate, an organic Christmas pudding or an award winning wine. A hamper should impress, delight, and surprise the recipient. The days of ordinary fayre are no longer the norm. Hampers can be very specialised. Fairtrade is now an important factor when sourcing products for hampers. Gone are the days when the packaging was poor and a bit crumpled. It now looks really good eg the Divine chocolate range has vibrant designs on their chocolate bars based on African culture. A classic example of Fairtrade at work is the Fair Valley Estate in South Africa. It was set up with government backing and today these wines compete with the best from the wine world. Ethical shopping ticks quite a few boxes in the psychology of consumers. You don’t have to buy gift vouchers for donkeys anymore! A Fairtrade hamper means you get to taste great products and also support emerging manufacturers on the ground. They don’t have to cost a lot either - Fairtrade hamper prices start from £16.95 upwards. Organic is now readily available within the mainstream retail market. However very few hamper companies supply a thoroughbred "organic" hamper. It is worth searching on the internet using the specific description so that you can be guided to the correct suppliers. Spicers supply an Organic breakfast hamper and an Organic Christmas hamper. So for example, Traidcraft plain chocolate is a great tasting product at a reasonable price and illustrates the fusion of a quality food that is also Fairtrade and organic. What is meant by Award Winners? When faced with a wide choice of hampers why not go for the "best of the best" - ie hampers that are full of quality, unusual foods that have won awards or international acclaim. Quality Fairtrade hampers come with tasting notes to provide the full story behind the pedigree of each product. If you want your gift to stand out from the average hamper offer then use an Award Winner hamper. How "green" are hamper companies ? As a responsible supplier it is necessary to strive towards waste reduction and a partnership with recycled or sustainable packaging products. Look for hamper companies whose cardboard, baskets & packaging come from sustainable sources at every opportunity. Ethical companies have moved over from polychip to corn chip void fill - this protects the items inside the hamper and when you have finished with it all you need to do is pour water on it and they dissolve ! A totally biodegradable product that comes from an annually renewable resource. It is also quite fun to watch it dissolve ! So take the opportunity this Christmas to not only buy a hamper but also to buy one which offers genuine benefits to the environment and those less fortunate than yourself. A that is something especially worth doing at Christmas. |
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| 2 | Fairtrade: Is It As Fair As It Sounds? |
Andrew Regan | Food Beverage/Food Beverage | 2007-06-07 |
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The term "Fairtrade" has been gaining steady acknowledgment since the 1940s - and justifiably so. After all, when consumers pay just a little more for products like organic coffee, bananas, chocolate and even clothes, farmers are guaranteed a fair price for their goods and labour. So, the fact that over 2,500 product lines in the UK now carry the Fairtrade mark - not to mention that Britain spent over £290 million on fair trade coffee, food, furniture and clothing last year (an increase of 46% on the previous year) - should seem like a good thing, right?
Not quite, as many people are now questioning the effectiveness of the fair-trade practice - or more specifically, whether the support of Fairtrade purchase can actually damage the progress of developing world farmers. Many are claiming that a focus on fair prices for poor farmers doesn't necessarily address issues of mechanisation and industrialisation - radical changes that might enable farmers in developing countries to break out of the poverty cycle. In other words, they believe Fairtrade just encourages Third World farmers to accept and settle for just a bit more than they were originally getting - which still leaves farmers at a level of dependence. Steve Daley of the Worldwrite charity told the BBC: "How can a few extra pennies a day from Fairtrade be celebrated as an outstanding achievement?" Daley cites a report from the Financial Times last September, which revealed that a group of fair trade coffee farmers in Peru were getting 10 soles (about US$3) for working a ten-and-a-half hour day, in comparison to the 8 soles (about US$2.40) they were getting prior to the Fairtrade agreement. While there is a difference, it's not significant, and Daley is thus concerned that the fair trade movement is being reshaped to increase farmers' wages by small amounts, rather than to transform poor communities through development. Madsen Pirie from the Adam Smith Institute - another sceptic of the Fairtrade practice - shares Daley's concern, commenting to the BBC: "[Fairtrade farmers] become dependent on us continuing to pay 'premium' prices for their goods, [making them] prisoners to our market." This perspective therefore claims that while small-scale fair trade deals are beneficial to some degree, they aren't enough for Third World farmers to lift themselves out of poverty; they need bigger market developments to achieve that. Others, however, argue otherwise. , howevEileen Maybin, a spokeswoman for the Fairtrade Foundation, said: "Fairtrade focuses on ensuring that farmers in developing countries receive an agreed and stable price for the crops they grow, as well as an additional Fairtrade premium to invest in social projects or business development programmes. Typically, farmers' groups decide to use the premium on education, healthcare and clean water supplies, or the repair of roads and bridges, and to strengthen their businesses, improve the quality of their crop or convert to organic production." She added that farmers and workers involved in Fairtrade always talk about how much they, their families and their communities benefit. Justin Purser, the commodities manager for Trade Aid Importers in New Zealand, has also witnessed some of the big changes fair trade can make: "It is very common for fair trade coffee co-operatives to seek to build infrastructure which will cut down on the amount of labour required to process their coffee, and will also enable them to improve their coffee quality and, thereby, the higher prices they can command in the market." So, the debate of whether fair trade promotes dependency or self-sufficiency continues. However, one thing is certain: fair trade conditions are far more beneficial to Third World farmers than non-fair trade conditions. So, while bigger issues may still be at hand, Fairtrade is certainly a starting point to put an end to cheap production through exploitation. Moreover, buying Fairtrade is something everyone can personally do on a daily basis to help. There are various ways to support the fair trade practice: you could always pick fair trade products when faced with a choice of fairtrade or non-fairtrade. Many stores, markets and coffee shops do, after all, stock products from both categories. However, why not shop specifically for fair trade products? Or better yet, if the store you normally shop at doesn't stock fair trade products, ask them if they plan to. If companies see enough consumer interest in the fair-trade practice, they may very well decide to switch over - and every little bit counts. |
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| 3 | What is Organic and Fairtrade Olive Oil? |
Davinos Greeno | Food Beverage/Cooking | 2007-01-15 |
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Whether you use the oil for frying or salads, organic oil can provide the maximum taste with the minimum use of pesticides and chemicals in its production. |
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| 4 | What is Organic and Fairtrade Tea and Coffee? |
Davinos Greeno | News Society/environment | 2007-01-16 |
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Most of us dont realise that this tea is often grown on tea plantations in the developing world where the crops are sprayed with many chemicals and pesticides and the workers that pick the leaves are not only exposed to this danger but are often paid a pittance of a wage as well. |
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| 5 | Why Use Organic and Fairtrade Olive Oil in Cooking? |
Davinos Greeno | Hobbies/hobbies | 2007-01-16 |
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Organic olives are used in the production and many people say that the taste is superior to non organic olive oil. Olives are typically grown in the Mediterranean, with its hot dry summers and cool winters it is the ideal habitat of the olive tree. Olive oil is the oil obtained from the fruit of the olive tree in a mechanical manner. |
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| 6 | Why Buy Fairtrade Bags? |
davinos greeno | Shopping/fashion | 2007-06-20 |
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| 7 | Why Buy Fairtrade And Ethical Bags? |
Indiann Davinos | Society/Womens Interest | 2007-05-31 |
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| 8 | Make yours an Organic and Eco Baby |
Clare Livsy | Home Family/Babies | 2007-01-18 |
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Organic and Fairtrade Baby Food Organic baby food has been around for decades and fairtrade baby food has only recently been launched. Why feed your baby with chemicals, additives and possibly genetically modified ingredients when you can feed them fresh, organic and healthier food? By buying fairtrade it also enables you to put something back into local communities where the ingredients originated from, so that they can look after their families better due to being paid a fair price for their food and hence they are able to reinvest the funds into their community and families. Organic and Eco Friendly Baby Care Babies have extremely sensitive skin that requires a mild and gentle touch - which is why it makes sense to treat them with products made from the purest ingredients. The skin is the largest part of the babies body and is often prone to sores and nappy rash in the early days. Minimise the amount of chemicals coming into contact with the babies skin by buying organic or natural baby care products. Organic and Fairtrade Baby Clothing A babys skin is thinner than that of an adult, so make sure the clothes against their bodies are free from harmful pesticides and chemicals by buying clothing which are made from organic or hemp fibres which are made with the minimum or no chemicals in the production and processing. By buying Fairtrade or ethical baby clothes from companies such as HUG ensures that other babies in developing countries may benefit as well from the clothes that you buy. Cheap, brand new clothes from supermarkets etc. are often made in China in low cost production facilities where workers are paid the minimum wage and where the term sweatshops originated from. Buying second hand or using donated clothes is the ultimate form of recycling and is cheaper too at this expensive time of life. Environmentally Friendly Cloth Nappies Cloth nappies can be washed and reused hundreds of times. Millions of disposable nappies are used throughout your country and you can imagine what size of landfill is needed to bury them all! Cloth nappies can reduce nappy rash and have no suspect chemicals. By washing them with your normal clothes, you again minimise your babies impact on the environment. Breast feeding Breast milk is very economical, constantly available at the right temperature and if your diet is organic then so is your milk which is therefore better for your baby. If you have to buy formula we wary of buying Nestle as an International Nestle Boycott is in effect in 20 countries. The boycott will continue until Nestle ends its irresponsible marketing of breast milk substitutes world-wide and abides by the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and subsequent Resolutions in policy and practice. |
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| 9 | We''re Gonna Need a Bigger Tote |
Jennifer Ovington | News Society/environment | 2008-03-31 |
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 As if the sight of plastic bags strewn throughout our lakes and rivers and becoming entangled into our wildlife wasn’t devastating enough, researchers are now warning that the risk of hidden contamination could be more serious. |
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| 10 | Organic And Eco Babies |
Davinos Greeno | Home Family/Parenting | 2007-01-15 |
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When babies are born they are unable to make decisions for themselves and the young lives in our care deserve the best that we can provide and it is our responsibility to ensure that we give them a natural and healthy environment to grow in. The author looks at things that can make all the difference to an eco baby and eco family. Organic and Fairtrade Baby Food Organic baby food has been around for decades and fairtrade baby food has only recently been launched. Why feed your baby with chemicals, additives and possibly genetically modified ingredients when you can feed them fresh, organic and healthier food? By buying fairtrade it also enables you to put something back into local communities where the ingredients originated from, so that they can look after their families better due to being paid a fair price for their food and hence they are able to reinvest the funds into their community and families. Organic and Eco Friendly Baby Care Babies have extremely sensitive skin that requires a mild and gentle touch - which is why it makes sense to treat them with products made from the purest ingredients. The skin is the largest part of the babies body and is often prone to sores and nappy rash in the early days. Minimise the amount of chemicals coming into contact with the babies skin by buying organic or natural baby care products. Organic and Fairtrade Baby Clothing A babys skin is thinner than that of an adult, so make sure the clothes against their bodies are free from harmful pesticides and chemicals by buying clothing which are made from organic or hemp fibres which are made with the minimum or no chemicals in the production and processing. By buying Fairtrade or ethical baby clothes from companies such as HUG ensures that other babies in developing countries may benefit as well from the clothes that you buy. Cheap, brand new clothes from supermarkets etc. are often made in China in low cost production facilities where workers are paid the minimum wage and where the term sweatshops originated from. Buying second hand or using donated clothes is the ultimate form of recycling and is cheaper too at this expensive time of life. Environmentally Friendly Cloth Nappies Cloth nappies can be washed and reused hundreds of times. Millions of disposable nappies are used throughout your country and you can imagine what size of landfill is needed to bury them all! Cloth nappies can reduce nappy rash and have no suspect chemicals. By washing them with your normal clothes, you again minimise your babies impact on the environment. Breast feeding Breast milk is very economical, constantly available at the right temperature and if your diet is organic then so is your milk which is therefore better for your baby. If you have to buy formula be wary of buying Nestle as an International Nestle Boycott is in effect in 20 countries. The boycott will continue until Nestle ends its irresponsible marketing of breast milk substitutes world-wide and abides by the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and subsequent Resolutions in policy and practice. |
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| 11 | Are the big companies green washing? |
davinos greeno | News Society/Current Affairs | 2007-12-02 |
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Every week we are seeing big companies launching a green version of an existing product, this ranges from insurance to washing powder.
What many people forget is that Ecover is one of the 1st brands to gain UK wide recognition and to be widely available in both small and large retailers such as supermarkets. There are not many truly green companies with multi-million pound turnovers at this stage but many of the household brands including the supermarkets themselves are greening themselves in order to capture a slice of the eco friendly market. I read the other day that Marks & Spencers are adding wind turbines to some of there stores. Going back to products, the majority of consumers dont seem to care whether its from a green company or a household brand with an eco friendly version. An example is people are buying Nestle Fairtrade coffee even though the Nestle brand is subject to boycotts around the world. Nestle is targeted with the boycotts because monitoring conducted by the International Baby Food Action Network finds it to be responsible for more violations of the World Health Assembly marketing requirements for baby foods than any other company (see http://www.babymilkaction.org/pages/boycott.html). As household brands have marketing budgets to keep them there many people will switch to the green version of there favorite brand as opposed to buying Ecover or another green brand for a 1st time that may be untested to them. In this regard Ecover and other green brands will struggle without the advertising budget as other other non ethical household brands green themselves and begin to gain market share at the expense of those brands that started the greening of everyday products. As awareness grows of environmental issues and ethical companies people will research and switch to companies and brands that fit into their green lifestyle, until that time they face an uphill battle to maintain market share and may even be bought out by a household brand to gain immediate green credentials like the Lo real and Body shop deal 2 years ago and Cadburys buying the luxury organic brand Green & Blacks. Switching to organic, this weeks debate in the media is about whether food that is imported should be labeled as organic or whether it should just be local UK food. I wrote an article about this a year called Fairtrade, Local or Organic saying that people will have to choose what is important to them. Fairtrade alleviates poverty, organic is pesticide, healthy food and local food saves on food miles. Are any UK grown or made products certified Fairtrade? If so we then have the possibility of organic, fairtrade and local food combined into one. Until that date we have to make decisions and choose what is important to us. I for one dont think that overseas organic food should be banned on the simple basis that impoverished organic farmers in Africa that have spent valuable time and money to gain the UK organic certification could be told that there market has disappeared overnight. If this was to happen its only fair that they are compensated by the Soil Association in terms of money and also helping them to access new markets. After all, many organic consumer support Trade not Aid and I for one would be hugely disappointed to see struggling third world farmers lose out again so that my food has traveled a shorter distance. Just because it hasnt been flown into the UK can the Soil Association guarantee that the organic food we buy from any retailer has not travelled from an organic farm in the South of England to a distribution depot in Wales them to a supermarket in Scotland. I feel the answer is no unless the Soil Association wants to let us know any different? Davinos Greeno works for the green companies and fairtrade shopping directory that lists 100s of Organic and Ethical Companies and we also have green articles for you to read or publish. |
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| 12 | Why not make yours an Ethical or Green Wedding? |
Clare Livsy | Society/Marriage | 2007-01-18 |
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Make your wedding a special day - for you and the planet. To help, we have put together a list of suggestions and pointers towards your ethical big day, from the ceremony and catering, to an eco-friendly honeymoon. Ethical Weddings can include using: • A venue operated on environmentally friendly principles or supporting a charity or community project • A caterer using organic and local produce • A dressmaker or designer using organic, hemp or recycled fabrics • A florist working with organic or fairtrade flowers • An environmentally friendly means of transport such as horse and cart • Stationery designed on recycled or hand crafted paper • Wedding rings that use recycled gold or fairtrade silver or by buying diamonds that are conflict free. • Not accepting traditional household wedding gifts such as toasters but accepting donations to charity on your behalf • Using biodegradable confetti Im now going to expand on a few of the points above: Wedding Lists The first casualty is the traditional wedding list, a monument to conspicuous consumption featuring dinner services and crystal to be replaced at fashionable weddings by charity lists, with tree plantations and donated cows for communities in the developing world. If you are green fingered, how about plants, trees or garden vouchers. Wedding Stationery Use recycled paper for wedding stationery, or try Recycled Paper. To save paper, you could design a website, and send a postcard to guests referring them to it. Wedding photos can be easier to share if you go digital too. The Dress Another option is to hire the gown and other wedding outfits instead of buying it and then putting in the warbrobe just to pull it out for the occasional look! Drink Buy organic or fairtrade wine for your guests and enjoy the revelry while nature and communities benefit. Order wine, spirits, champagne, beer and soft drinks from an independent online organic retailer while avoiding the supermarkets that make millions in profits. Food Support local, seasonal and organic food production - and ask your caterer to do the same. Avoid disposable plates and make sure empties end up in the recycling bin. Ask your cake-maker or local baker to use local and organic ingredients where possible. Transport Find a venue as close to home as possible to cut down on transport. Horse drawn carriages are not only good at seaside resorts but also on your wedding day. If you dont have the ceremony and reception at the same venue, encourage guests to share rides to the reception or provide a coach or bus. Honeymoon Think about romantic destinations you can visit that are as close to home as possible to reduce the number of road and air miles. If you decide to go longhaul, then find an eco friendly or ethical hotel to stay in. |
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| 13 | Ethical And Green Weddings |
Davinos Greeno | Society/Womens Interest | 2007-01-15 |
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Many of the rich and famous including Charles and Camilla served organic food at their wedding, but elsewhere it is very much on the wedding menu as brides and grooms go ethical on the most important day of their life. Make your wedding a special day - for you and the planet. To help, we have put together a list of suggestions and pointers towards your ethical big day, from the ceremony and catering, to an eco-friendly honeymoon. Ethical Weddings can include using: A venue operated on environmentally friendly principles or supporting a charity or community project Im now going to expand on a few of the points above: Wedding Lists The first casualty is the traditional wedding list, a monument to conspicuous consumption featuring dinner services and crystal to be replaced at fashionable weddings by charity lists, with tree plantations and donated cows for communities in the developing world. If you are green fingered, how about plants, trees or garden vouchers. Wedding Staionery Use recycled paper for wedding stationery, or try Recycled Paper. To save paper, you could design a website, and send a postcard to guests referring them to it. Wedding photos can be easier to share if you go digital too. The Dress Another option is to hire the gown and other wedding outfits instead of buying it and then putting in the warbrobe just to pull it out for the occasional look! Drink Buy organic or fairtrade wine for your guests and enjoy the revelry while nature and communities benefit. Order wine, spirits, champagne, beer and soft drinks from an independent online organic retailer while avoiding the supermarkets that make millions in profits. Food Support local, seasonal and organic food production - and ask your caterer to do the same. Avoid disposable plates and make sure empties end up in the recycling bin. Ask your cake-maker or local baker to use local and organic ingredients where possible. Transport Find a venue as close to home as possible to cut down on transport. Horse drawn carriages are not only good at seaside resorts but also on your wedding day. If you dont have the ceremony and reception at the same venue, encourage guests to share rides to the reception or provide a coach or bus. Honeymoon Think about romantic destinations you can visit that are as close to home as possible to reduce the number of road and air miles. If you decide to go longhaul, then find an eco friendly or ethical hotel to stay in. |
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| 14 | Chocolate Crime in Eu: Italians Defend Their Artisan Made Pure Chocolate |
Martha Mc Quire | Travel Leisure/Travel Leisure | 2007-07-09 |
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Traditional Italian chocolate-makers shun alternatives to cocoa butter, which northern European manufacturers tend to use up to the 5% limit allowed by EU regulations. They are worried about the threat of cheaper products eating into their market and are also pushing the EU to grant the best Italian chocolate “Traditional Specialty Guaranteed” (TSG) status. In 2003 purists successfully lobbied for the introduction of a new ‘puro cioccolato’ label here, so consumers can spot the difference between the two types. The EU, however, has objected that even the ‘puro cioccolato’ tag amounts to unfair discrimination against competitors . Most artisan chocolate-makers use cocoa with fairtrade certification. This shows the cocoa was traded at a fair price for the Third World farmers and produced in an environmentally friendly way with full respect for workers’ rights . |
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| 15 | Guilt Free Shopping |
ceri heathcote | Shopping/fashion | 2007-10-27 |
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The ethical status of a product is has recently become a key concern of consumers. Now ethical fashion championed by designer Katherine Hamnett and ethical label People tree is gathering momnetum and quickly becoming an important force in the designer world. London fashion week has even launched ‘Estethica’ a section dedicated to eco-sustainable labels. But what is ethical fashion and what is all the fuss about?
Ethical fashion is all about ensuring the clothing that you buy has not had a detrimental effect on people or the environment. Pesticides cause an estimated 3 million cases of severe poisoning and 20,000 deaths each year, mostly in devloping countries. By buying clothing made of organic cotton you can help mimimise the effects of toxic pesticides on people and the planet . Recycling is also very hot at the moment with the vintage look becoming a key trend with celebrities. Up to 1 million tonnes of unwanted fabric goes into landfill in the UK every year. Charity shops are often the first port of call for the label and style consious shopper. Thousands of shoppers also use ebay as a way to access second hand clothing from their favourite label at a fraction of the price. Labels such as Junky styling, from somewhere and Worn again recycles fabrics reworking them into something new and uptodate, helping to decrease landfill and reduce the carbon footprint of clothes manufacture. Fairtrade labels such as people tree ensure that workers making their clothes have been given a fair deal and are not part of the the three billion people in the world working to earn less than $2 a day. The number of fairtrade labels is growing and this has ensured that it is possible to have a conscious and wear the most up to date and hottest and most stylish fashions.
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| 16 | Why Buy Fair Trade Gifts This Holiday Season |
Everett Sizemore | Home Family/Home Family | 2007-10-27 |
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Definition of Fair Trade The question "what is fair trade" might seem elementary to some, while others find it difficult to define without making broad generalizations. According to the Fair Trade Federation, it is "a more equitable and sustainable system of production and trade." Wikipedia defines fair trade as "an organized social movement which promotes standards for international labor, environmentalism, and social policy in areas related to production of Fairtrade labeled and unlabeled goods. The fair trade movement focuses in particular on exports from developing countries into developed countries. Why Buy Fair Trade Gifts This Holiday Season 2007 has been marked by unprecedented growth in social, economic and environmental consciousness around the world. As we open our eyes to the reality that is socioeconomic inequality, environmental destruction and the exploitation of workers in underdeveloped countries, it can seem overwhelming. One person, after all, can only do so much. We live in a world where the dollar rules. Though this may seem unfortunate in many ways, it also gives us the power to make our voices heard with every dollar we spend. Vote with your dollars and be conscious of the impact your purchases have on the lives of others. Fair trade products make great gifts. Not only will the person receiving your fair trade gift be pleased, but it sends a message to the Big Box stores that we're not going to stand for their strong-arm tactics of beating down the price from local artisans and factories in third world countries to the point where they're forced to save money by cutting costs elsewhere in areas like being environmentally responsible, worker s rights, healthcare and product safety. How Do You Know If It's Fair Trade? That's the million-dollar question. Really, there s not much stopping unscrupulous companies from claiming something is fair trade and slapping some bogus label on it. But there are a few Fair Trade labels you can trust, including those from the Fair Trade Federation (see link below), and Trans Fair USA. Where Can You Find Fair Trade Products? There are many places on the web to buy fair trade products, including Gaiam (http://www.gaiam.com/retail/2/fairtrade) and the Two Hands Workshop (http://twohandsworldshop.com/). Whether you are shopping for fair trade clothing / apparel and jewelry, or would like to give the gift of fair trade handicrafts and toys, enlightened shops have begun to pop up not only on the web, but in local areas too. As for the Internet, all you have to do is search Google for "Fair Trade Gifts", "Fair Trade Crafts" or whatever it is that you re looking for and there is no shortage of opportunities to make conscious buying decisions. A good place to start finding fair trade products locally is to visit your nearest organic foods store (try Wild Oats or Whole Foods if you don't have smaller ones closer) and ask the people who work there. Eco Mall (http://www.ecomall.com/biz/) has an impressive list of eco-conscious and socially conscious stores from around the world. Another great place to find local fair trade stores is the Fair Trade Federation s Directory of Members by State and Territory (http://www.fairtradefederation.org/memret.html) . Products Available at Fair Trade Stores In general, you can find just about anything you want while shopping for fair trade holiday gifts. However, there are certain types of fair trade products that tend to be more readily available than others. These include: Crafts / handicrafts, jewelry, organic cotton bedding and fabric, clothing and apparel, coffee, rice and other food items. |
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| 17 | Bio Fuels Take Food off My Plate |
davinos greeno | News Society/Current Affairs | 2007-12-02 |
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In the mad rush to save the planet and reduce climate change, farmers across the globe are increasingly ripping up food crops and turning the land over to grow bio fuels. Maize, sugar cane, palm oil and oil seed rape can be turned into ethanol or other biofuels to use in your car instead of petrol. This may help us to fight global warming - but it is driving up food prices throughout the world.
The changing of existing crops to bio fuels from existing farmers or the creation of new opportunities for some farmers is leading to jobs and increased prosperity for some, but they are also helping to push up the price of bread in London, tortillas in Mexico City and beer in Barcelona. Food aid for the poorest people in Africa, pork in China and beef in Britain are all more expensive. Maize used to be used for food aid or cattle feed but is now being used as fuel to save the enviroment and reduce the dependncy on oil for Western governments at a time when most oil producing countires seem to be disagreeing with the West. There could be a time when these oil producing countries start to starve the West of oil due to their actions in the international arena. What about my pennies? This increased use of food for fuel is leading to record prices for maize, as the demand increases so does the cost. Warburtons my favorite bread in the whole world will have to pay more for wheat which will then passed onto good old me! Could the days of a 20 pence supermarket own branded loaves that I ate as a student be over? And its not just bread that is effected, my bacon butties will get more expenssive as pigs are fed mainly on grain. The UNs World Food Organisation predicts that demand for biofuels will grow by 170% in the next three years. The global population is rising by 87 million people a year; developing countries such as China and India are switching to meat-based diets that need more land and water. As the West turns vegetarian, the East turns to meat. Its like a game of opposites. The immediate best bet is that countries that are new to the EU such as Poland and the Ukraine will grow more food for export as they have a bigger market with more demand. This at least will lead to my bacon butties remaining affordable and keep a smile on my face. Davinos Greeno works for the green companies and fairtrade shopping directory that lists 100s of Organic and Ethical Companies and we also have green articles for you to read or publish. |
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| 18 | What is a pre housing tenancy determination? |
davinos greeno | Home Family/Parenting | 2007-12-02 |
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When looking for somewhere to live, you can obviously buy a house, rent it from the local council or housing association or rent it from a private individual or company.
If you are planning on renting from a private individual and you want to know how much housing benefit will pay towards the rent before you commit yourself then you can apply for whats called a pre-tenancy determination. Housing benefit in only paid to those individuals with the right to benefits in the UK and only those on low incomes, especially those on benefits such as income support and job seekers allowance. Housing benefit can cover the full rent or only part of the rent leaving you to pay the shortfall. This pre-tenancy determination must be applied for before the tenancy starts or is renewed, and before the client makes or renews a housing benefit claim, and must have the landlords consent. The application, which must be made on a special form, can be delivered in person, posted or faxed. The local authority will send it to the rent officer (known as a valuation officer in N. Ireland) for the pre-tenancy determination and must do so within two days of receiving the application. The rent officer will make a determination and send a copy to the applicant, the landlord and the local authority. This should be done within five days of the rent officer receiving the application. The determination will show the rent officers assessment of the local reference rent and the relevant rent for housing benefit purposes. It will be valid for twelve months from the date it is made. If an application for a pre-tenancy determination has previously been made in respect of a housing benefit claim for the same property by a past tenant, the local authority must inform the applicant, enclosing a copy of that determination, within four days of her/his application. If a previous referral to the rent officer is used, it must be for a tenancy on the same or similar terms and for the same household composition, and must have been made within the last twelve months. If people are relying on housing benefit to pay their rent, then they must inform the local council regarding any changes to their circumstances. This includes people moving in or out of the property or increasing or decreasing the number of paid hours in employment. Failure to inform the local council could mean that housing benefit is overpaid which will mean the local council will ask for it back if and when they find out. Davinos Greeno works for the green companies and fairtrade shopping directory that lists 100s of Organic and Ethical Companies and we also have green articles for you to read or publish. |
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| 19 | Housing Demand and the Resulting Debt Crisis |
davinos greeno | Finance/Investing | 2007-12-02 |
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Houses prices in the UK and USA have continued to grow in recent years and have shown little sign of slowing until recently when the sub prime mortgage crisis hit the USA and then the UK.
As house prices increased people found themselves with ten of thousands of pounds in equity in their house. Thoughts of an extension, nice car and clearing the credit cards started to creep into peoples minds and the next thing you know they have either re-mortgaged or taken a huge loan on the basis of this excess equity. What people have failed to realise is, is that this remortgage or loan has to be paid back and that interest rates have been historically low so that when they started to increase people found that they couldn’t afford to repay the loans and repossessions have rocketed!! Tut tut. Debt advice workers are now especially busy trying to sort this mess out! Even some banks are struggling as people are defaulting on these loans. I have heard that some mortgage advisers are encouraging people to inflate their own wages so that they can buy bigger houses and they can get bigger commissions from the sales. A few years down the line all this goes wrong as interest rates and repayments increase at a faster rate then our wages that seem to increase at a much lower rate than inflation on a yearly basis. With more increases in petrol prices my money is having to stretch further and further every week! Whats needed is a housing price correction so that people can afford to get on the housing ladder without spending 6+ times their yearly earnings which is the most recent figure for the wages/cost of houses ratio. This is the highest figure in decades. House builders should also hang their heads in shame at the landbanks which they have in their possession. Many house builders own land for building hundreds of thousands of houses on (im not exaggerating here) which they are saving for a rainy day. As demand for houses and land increases this land becomes more and more valuable so they buy more for the landbank which leads again to an increase in prices and so on. What is needed is for the governments to force these builders to build after a certain number of years if it is ex-government land which it normally is. Until then prices will keep on increasing until a bigger debt crisis throughout Europe and North America leads to an uneatable level of repossessions and a debt crunch which effects everyone and could pull our countries into a recession not seen for decades. Davinos Greeno works for the green housing companies and fairtrade homes shopping directory that lists 100s of Organic and Ethical Companies and we also have eco homes articles for you to read or publish. |
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| 20 | About Free Trade And Organic Cotton |
Everett Sizemore | Home Family/Home Family | 2007-06-22 |
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The organic cotton industry has make huge strides over the last few years, and many retailers are beginning to see the value of buying materials made with organic cotton, such as clothing, bedding and accessories. Still, most consumers do not know the difference between "organic" cotton and "regular" cotton. Therefore, they cannot justify paying more for one or the other. This article explains the difference in hopes that more people will opt for the organic alternative to mass-produced cotton. What is Organic Cotton? Organic cotton, like most "organic" crops, is grown using methods and materials that have a low environmental impact. The growing of this type of cotton usually focuses on two things: eco-sustainability and fair trade. Eco Sustainability The idea of sustainability is that the practices used in producing a product replenish natural materials at equal to or greater than the rate of depletion, and reduce the use of toxic fertilizers and pesticides to the point of being equal to or less than the rate that such materials bio-degrade or become harmless to the environment. In other words, the idea is that we can go on with such practices without "making things worse" than they already are. Fair Trade It is common practice in a capitalistic, powerful society like the United States for major corporations to use their buying power to reduce the price of goods, which they may or may not pass on to the consumer. The problem with this practice is that often these goods are already being obtained at the expense of third-world workers, who are providing them at an extremely low profit margin in the first place. It forces them to make a choice between working for near-slave-wages, or not working at all. Fair Trade Cotton and other fair trade products ensure that workers, regardless of which country they live in, are compensated at a fair, living wage. Because organic farming practices and fair trade purchasing decisions are more costly, a higher price tag usually ends up being passed on to the consumer. We, as consumers, must then ask ourselves whether it is worth the cost to buy organic cotton over "normal" cotton. Cost is More Than Just Monetary The cost of traditionally produced cotton may take a few cents less out of our pockets, but it costs us dearly in terms of the destruction of our environment and the exploitation of our brothers and sisters in the "third world". Whether you believe in karma, a just God or just the idea that your actions play a role in your happiness, there is also a high spiritual/mental payout to buying organically produced, fair trade cotton. Find out More: http://www.sustainablecotton.org/ |
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