On Valentine’s Day, when we’re enjoying the chocolate given to us as gifts by the people we love, most of us are not aware that there’s a side to chocolate that’s not too sweet.
During the week of action, Green America is also asking us to send a special Valentine’s Day card to Hershey’s CEO, David West, asking him to “have a heart”, eliminating child and forced-labor by shifting to Fair Trade Certified cocoa. Further, Green America has a similar online letter-writing campaign, asking Hershey’s to commit to sourcing 100% Fair Trade Certified cocoa by 2012.
What Fair Trade Certified chocolate means:
Chocolate was produced without human trafficking and without forced or child labor
Chocolate was produced under standards that protect environmental and human rights.
To get involved in the cause, gather friends and family together to host a screening of the The Dark Side of Chocolate. Get your screening kit here.
The First Lady later takes the stage, praising Wal-Mart’s move as “a great victory” for families. (According to a YouTube news report, this is the first time that Mrs. Obama has ever publicly endorsed a private retailer.)
According to Sustainable Life Media, the “nutrition charter” is rooted in five components* aimed at making it easier for moms to afford healthy foods for their families:
Reformulating thousands of everyday packaged food items by 2015 by reducing sodium 25 percent and added sugars 10 percent, and by removing all remaining industrially produced trans- fats. The company will work with suppliers to improve the nutritional quality of national food brands and its Great Value private brand in key product categories to complete the reformulations;
Making healthier choices more affordable, saving customers approximately $1 billion per year on fresh fruits and vegetables through a variety of sourcing, pricing, and transportation and logistics initiatives that will drive unnecessary costs out of the supply chain. Wal-Mart will also dramatically reduce or eliminate the price premium on key “better-for-you” items, such as reduced sodium, sugar or fat products;
Developing strong criteria for a simple front-of-package seal that will help consumers instantly identify truly healthier food options such as whole grain cereal, whole wheat pasta or unsweetened canned fruit;
Providing solutions to address food deserts by building stores in underserved communities that are in need of fresh and affordable groceries; and
Increasing charitable support for nutrition programs that help educate consumers about healthier food solutions and choices.
*Elements listed are directly quoted from Sustainable Life Media
Andrea Thomas, Wal-Mart’s Senior VP of Sustainability (with Wal-Mart nutritionist Megan Diaz), sharing ideas for how to make healthy eating affordable.
Eek-o-fabulous fun was had by all (6,000 guests in just 4 hours!) with recycled art, a costume swap, poetry reading, marching band, healthy/green goodies and more.
Here are a few of the fab photos (by photographer Andrew Federman) for more, click here.
And check out this HUGE promotion banner hanging for all to see!
Date: Saturday, October 30, 2010
Time: 12 p.m.-4 p.m.
City & state: New York, NY
Event description: Green your Halloween at the World Financial Center! Join artist-educators for mask and costume making with funky recycled and repurposed materials, compete with other witches and warlocks in “Put a Spider in the Brew”, “Bowling for Ghosts” and a twist on the traditional “Bobbing for Apples,” and enjoy organic and fair-trade candy treats. Exchange last year’s costume for a new one at the Costume Swap, each gently used and ready-to-wear. Mini parades led by the Hungry March Band will take place on the Plaza at 1, 2 and 3pm, and the day ends with a Ghosts & Goblins Parade to Poets House for a reading of spooky poems and seasonal snacks. Ride your bike to the event! Free valet bicycle parking provided by Transportation Alternatives.
Soup is about comfort, warmth of soul, and the feeling of home. And in the chill of winter, with Valentine’s Day just around the bend, soup can be about love: love of friends and family and the care that you put into the meals that you create for them. Let’s face it though, as busy moms, sometimes its about an easy dinner that fills the bellies fast and warms the heart!