What’s even better than chocolate?

Free chocolate.

What’s even better than free chocolate?

Free, Fair Trade chocolate.

What’s even better than free, Fair Trade chocolate?

Free, Fair Trade chocolate for the good of others.

You’ve heard us chat up Reverse Trick-or-Treating in the past, but did you know that when you sign up to take part you get all the chocolates you need at no charge?

And we’re not talking ordinary Fair Trade chocolates (wait, is there such a thing?) we’re talking eco-yummy, ethically sourced chocolate from Coco-Zen, Alter Eco, and our own partner, Equal Exchange.

For more, go to www.reversetrickortreating.org (Please note the deadline.)

Add a comment below if you’re planning on taking part! We are!

Did you know that October is Fair Trade month, a time to celebrate fair wages and healthy, safe working conditions for artisans and farmers?

Fair Trade Certification encourages environmentally sustainable business practices and prohibits the abuse of child slave labor, and since the cocoa industry is swarming with accusations of child slavery and other human rights abuses, choosing Fair Trade Certified chocolate is really important. So in honor of Fair Trade month (and Green Halloween!),we’re sending one lucky reader a FREE Fair Trade Trick or Treat Action Kit.

The Fair Trade Trick or Treat Kit has everything you need to make Halloween something special. It includes Fair Trade Trick-or-Treat chocolate to hand out, a ghostly Papel Picado Halloween decoration, a Fair Trade is Boo-tiful poster to hang in your window, festive spooky postcards and an eco-friendly “green” bag for Trick or Treating.

To win this free kit, simply post a comment to this blog by Oct. 22nd (That’s THIS Wednesday!) with your thoughts about the Fair Trade Action Kit, along with your email address so we can let you know if you’ve won, and you’re automatically entered for a chance to win your free kit!

We look forward to hearing from you.

You won’t be surprised to know that I’ve been asked more than once, “What have your got against candy?”

Nothing, in and of itself. In fact, I’m a big fan of companies such as St. Claires, Pure Fun and Sjaaks that do it right. They make candy that is organic, ethically sourced and yummy.

I’m not against companies that make conventional candy, I promise, but I am against some of their practices and ingredients. I mean, candy is meant to be enjoyed, but it’s a little hard to take pleasure in it when you know that the chocolate you’re eating may have been grown by child slaves or that the ingredients used may cause short and long-term damage to those who consume it. The fact is, I don’t I want to see conventional candy companies go out of business – I just want to see them change their ways.

But it will also come as no surprise that change in the right direction won’t happen without you and I – The Consumer – demanding that the products we buy are both people and Earth-friendly.

So this Halloween, if candy’s your thing, make your voice heard by voting for candy we can all enjoy without a single worry, except how on Earth we’ll eat it in moderation.

See our candy page for more information and be sure to let us know about candy companies doing the right thing.