Green Cotton

Green Cotton’s devotion to eco-fashion and style includes a broader inclusion of sustainability. Sustainability to us means not only sustainable environmental practices and sourcing, but also attention to the people and communities that make up our environments (and our products and companies). To this end, we are interested in fair labor standards, empowerment of women worldwide, and social responsibility. One issue that has come into the news this week concerns Hershey’s chocolate.

Photosource: www.businessweek.com

You may be very familiar with the Hershey’s kiss,  and even love it, but this love does not appear be to trickling down to all levels of Hershey’s production and processing of their little kisses. Hershey’s is one of few large chocolate companies to have yet to establish fair trade certified and organic chocolates.

To help speed up the process, on June 23rd, Green America and partners at the International Labour Rights Forum (ILRF), the Organic Consumer’s Association, and Global Exchange announced a national day for action aimed at improving the lives of cocoa farmers all over the world, and stopping the abusive child labor that is prevalent within this industry.

Photosource: laborrightsblog.typepad.com

The partners ask all their members, supporters, and others interested to call on Hersey’s Food Corporation – one of the largest chocolate producers in America – to obtain third-party fair trade certification. And when I said “call on” Hersey’s, I mean literally make a 2 minute phone call to the corporation. A script and phone numbers of those who need to hear about the plight of cocoa farmers have been prepared for the caller, so all you need to do is pick up your phone!

Ultimately, the aim of this campaign is to get Hersey’s (one of the biggest producers of chocolate worldwide) to produce all fair trade and organic certified chocolate and sugar in all their products. With some recent advancements in the corporate chocolate world, such as Cadbury’s fair trade chocolate line, this goal seems not only a realistic, but a smart move to make. Fair Trade certification is a good competitive move in a market where consumers are increasingly demanding more eco and fair trade products. While this campaign started as a National Day of Action on Tuesday June 23rd, 2009, the lines are open until Hersey’s makes a move.

So next time you go to get a Hersey’s “Kiss” remember the children and other workers behind that to cocoa and step up to offer them a fair wage and in good working conditions. Fair trade certification is one of the best ways to ensure this. Be a part of the change:  take two minutes, go to www.organicconsumers.org and place a call.

By: Julia Rea