When we clean out our closets, we often use three piles for clothing: keep, donate, and toss (or, landfill). Even though many Americans donate clothes, textiles still make up a shocking amount of the U.S. waste stream. The EPA reports that Americans generate 17 million tons of textile waste a year, equaling just over 6% of total municipal waste. On average, 700,000 tons of used clothing gets exported overseas and 2.5 million tons of clothing are recycled. But over three million tons are incinerated, and a staggering 11 million tons get sent to landfills.

We need to reduce textile waste and prevent burning or landfilling used clothing, which release tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, it typically costs $45 per ton to dispose of textiles, equaling hundreds of millions of dollars per year, showing a clear economic case to reduce waste.

Donating clothes can also be problematic. Bagging up and dropping off these items might end their story in our minds, but it doesn’t signify the end of life for your shirt or pair of pants. Not by a long shot.

Donate Clothing

Many people donate their worn clothing to a local charity shop. One popular charity shop chain is Goodwill, which reports that it offers many opportunities for the clothes to be resold, although roughly 5% of donated clothes are directly sent to landfills, largely due to mildew issues, which can contaminate entire bales of clothing. The rest remain in the 3,300 stores for four weeks before being moved to Goodwill outlets, found in 35 states, where items are sold for 99 cents per pound. What doesn’t sell at the outlets is then sent to Goodwill Auctions, where huge “mystery” bins full of items are sold for as little as $35 each. Finally, what clothing remains gets sent to textile recycling centers where they will be cut into rags, processed into softer fiber used for filling furniture and building insulation, or sent overseas.

Another well-known thrift store, Buffalo Exchange, with 40 locations around the U.S., purchases secondhand clothing from community members to resell in stores. It offers clothing that it cannot purchase as donations to local non-profits. Store merchandise that doesn’t sell is sent to outlet stores in Texas and Arizona. Unfortunately, most thrift stores don’t track where their donations head after they pass them along to the next step, and that includes Goodwill and Buffalo Exchange.

Textile Recycling

Recycling textiles can keep materials out of landfills and incinerators as well as reduce need for virgin fibers by extending the life of existing ones. Textiles are sorted by material type and color. Sorting by color means that no re-dying would need to take place, which saves energy and dyes. The textiles are then shredded. Zippers and buttons are removed from the shredded piles using magnets. Natural textiles, like cotton or wool, are cleaned and mixed through “carding,” a mechanical process that passes fibers between moving surfaces to break up locked clumps of fiber and aligns individual fibers to be parallel to each other. The product is then re-spun into yards of threads and ready to be used for weaving or knitting into new products.

Synthetic fibers, such as polyester or acrylic, are processed into polyester chips, which are essentially plastic pellets that become polyester again. The chips are melted and spun into new filament fiber for new polyester fabrics. There are small businesses and major brands committed to using recycled materials in their goods. For example, Patagonia sells clothing made with recycled down, wool, and polyester. Even the labels and zippers in these items contain up to 80% reclaimed material. Green Business Network member Ooloop uses recycled wool, cashmere, cotton, and even recycled fishing nets in its clothing. Ooloop also uses surplus material (the discards from the fashion industry), for its clothing lines to keep those materials out of landfills.

Overseas Exports

Secondhand clothes that don’t sell in the U.S. or go into textile recycling are often exported. Roughly 700,000 tons of used clothing gets sent to other countries annually, reportedly creating a big market and contributing to job growth. But it’s highly contested whether the impacts of this trade on local economies yields beneficial or harmful results. The sheer volume of exported clothing has suppressed local clothing industries and developed an increased reliance on other countries. It’s estimated the cost of a secondhand garment is as low as 5% the cost of a new garment made in Kenya, meaning local industries are unable to compete with the influx of cheap, used clothing.

In 2016, the East African Community (EAC) agreed to a complete ban on imported clothing that would have gone fully in effect in 2019. The Trump administration pressured leaders to rescind the ban, which they eventually did. But a range of projected outcomes were debated during the multi-year discussion of the ban. Kenya had said it wouldn’t be able to follow the ban’s deadline, as it lacks the capacity to meet domestic demand for clothing and the export demand for its textiles. Local small businesses need to expand and scale up to satisfy demand. Kenya’s new garment industry had half a million garment workers a few decades ago but now only has tens of thousands.

Opponents of the ban pushed back by saying it violated international trade agreements, could have eliminated hundreds of thousands of jobs, and reduced millions of dollars of income. Donated clothing was previously given away for free in East Africa. It then became a commodity to sell, which is what suppressed the local textile sector, but created livelihoods in the secondary clothing market at the same time.

Kenya's textile economy relies on AGOA (the African Growth and Opportunity Act) to convert raw materials (usually from Asia) into clothing sold to U.S. retailers like Levi Strauss and Walmart. Interestingly, these clothes are assembled in Kenyan factories, sold to U.S. buyers, and donated to Goodwill, and eventually returned to Kenya as secondhand clothing.

Reduce, Reuse, and then Recycle

With almost two-thirds of clothing castoffs headed directly to the landfill, what’s abundantly clear is that we produce far too much clothing in the first place. With the influence of fast fashion, we now see over 50 “micro-seasons” of clothing being made in a year instead of the previous two seasons (spring/summer and fall/winter) from decades past.

Here are three steps you can take to reduce your impact on the Earth when it comes to clothes:

1. Reduce clothing purchases and consider the larger waste trail behind the textiles we buy. Donating clothing is far better than landfilling, but it does not erase the impacts of the clothes we buy and discard.

2. When buying clothes, choose secondhand. You can find used clothing for sale in local thrift stores or online.

3. Avoid purchasing from fast-fashion retailers like Shien and Temu. Discourage your friends, family, and colleagues from purchasing from these retailers. The clothes are made poorly to churn out thousands of styles that only last one or two wears. These clothes are inundating thrift stores but lack the quality to be worn again, which ultimately results in more clothes going to landfills or incinerators.

4. For new items, look for “recycled content” products to ensure we are creating demand for recycled textiles, which leads to more incentive for companies to close the loop and give new life to used textiles.

Beyond these individual habits, we can advocate for less waste throughout the fashion system. Host a clothing swap to build community and show others the importance of reducing waste. Use social media and email to contact clothing companies and express the importance of designing for a loop instead of a landfill. Ask your local government to explore better collection systems for used textiles to ensure they are repurposed or recycled. Spread the word about the harm and waste perpetrated by the unsustainable fast fashion industry.

For all of us who wear clothes, there are many ways we can make a difference for people and the planet.

Last updated August 2025.

In South India, one garment manufacturer is busy changing the narrative around offshore factories. What started in 1994 as a nonprofit rehabilitation program by Franciscan nuns has grown into a thriving social enterprise. Assisi Garments uses local organic cotton and provides training and employment for deaf, mute, and economically disadvantaged women in a safe and supportive environment. The revenue Assisi Garments makes goes to paying the women a fair wage as well as supporting orphaned youth and medical facilities.

This story is one of many that sustainable fashion entrepreneur and Source My Garment (2019) author, Adila Cokar, loves to share. Cokar has worked in various roles of the fashion industry for 18 years—from starting her own clothing line to connecting other clothing businesses with fair trade suppliers. Her recent book named after her business, Source My Garment, is an insider’s guide to
responsible offshore manufacturing.

“There’s a huge misconception that all factories are unethical,” Cokar says. “There are a lot of great manufacturers out there that need our help as a global economy.”

The bad rap around offshore garment manufacturing is founded in disaster. In 2013, building owners ignored warnings that Rana Plaza, an eight-story building housing five garment factories in Bangladesh was unsafe. Garment workers were ordered to return to work the day the building collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people and injuring 2,500 others. Many of the garment workers were young women.

The deadliest incident in the history of the garment industry caught the attention of people around the world to the mistreatment of factory workers; yet over six years later, women workers are still exploited in the fast fashion industry through harassment, exposure to dangerous chemicals, and long contracts with low pay. While feminist movements have attempted to reform issues around reproductive rights, workplace harassment, and discrimination, fast fashion retailers have monetized the movement with t-shirts bearing feminist slogans made by women working in overseas sweatshops.

Fast Fashion is a Feminist Issue

Feminism fights for gender equality—equal rights and access to opportunity among the sexes. But while women make up about 80 percent of garment workers around the world, they earn significantly less than men, and promotions are a rare prospect for these women. On average, Bangladeshi women work 60 hours a week and earn an hourly rate of 28 taka or $0.95 in USD, according to the 2018 Garment Worker Diaries report. The nonprofit Labor Behind The Label’s “Undercover, Told by Workers” campaign in 2016 recorded that working conditions in Cambodian garment factories are poorly ventilated and lack access to water. These conditions, coupled with overwork and chemical exposure, mean workers in these factories are fainting and malnourished.

Poor working conditions are just one element of this feminist issue—workplace violence often goes unchecked in unregulated factories. A 2018 report from Global Labor Justice includes a written report from an Indian woman working in an H&M supplier factory, where she was beaten by a supervisor. After filing a complaint with the human resources department, the supervisor was told to apologize, but his harassment did not stop. As a recent widow, the woman continued to work at the factory to support her daughter.

This is not an uncommon story for women garment workers. Barriers to equality are rooted in poverty, lack of education, and exploitation by the fast fashion industry, to name a few. But like Assisi Garments, there are businesses that challenge the narrative of exploitation by implementing practices to give power to these women.

Finding Fair Trade

Fair trade is an example of such practices. The fair trade movement is “about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world,” according to Fair Trade Foundation. This system requires companies to pay fair prices to workers, establishing transparency, accountability, and respecting the rights of workers and the environment.

Businesses that employ fair trade principles are in direct contrast to fast fashion brands—for women workers, these principles have made offshore manufacturing equitable by advocating for living wages, combating unsafe labor conditions, and challenging abuse and harassment in the workplace.

Mira Fair Trade is one business that exemplifies these values. Fond of handmade clothing and accessories, Meera Viswanathan would purchase products local artisans created on her annual visits to India with family. Upon visiting rural areas in Rajasthan and Gujarat one year, she learned the women artisans loved to create but had no outlet to sell—if they had access to markets, they could support their families. Inspired to act, Viswanathan researched the fair trade model and began Mira Fair Trade.

“I noticed firsthand in some rural areas in India[…]when you pay a woman, whatever money she gets she saves for the family,” Viswanathan says. “These women bought rice and inexpensive vegetables to cook and feed the kids. If they had a little bit more money, they would buy clothing for their kids, medicine, and if they could make a tiny bit more money, they send their kids to school. Food first, medicine next, then education, in that order,” she adds.

Mira Fair Trade works with no more than 30 families to adequately support the artisans. The women workers set their own prices based on material and labor costs. The business is Fair Trade Federation verified.

“I haven’t heard anything but good things [from the artisans],” Viswanathan says. “These women are paid, and more importantly, are treated with respect. They can support their families and send their kids to school.”

Like Mira Fair Trade, Cokar’s business is changing the narrative around garment workers. Cokar uses her platform to amplify the positive changes that have taken place in factories around the world by facilitating partnerships with clothing brands seeking ethical and environmentally friendly manufacturers. Most of all, Cokar values the people she works with.

“It’s all about building relationships,” says Cokar. “Every person has a story, so does a factory. It’s not just about where it’s getting made[…]the second part is really to tell their story. They’re part of the business.”

Rebecca Ballard of Maven Women is familiar with the injustices of the fast fashion industry as a former human and labor rights lawyer. She believes women empowerment and fashion can go hand in hand. Maven Women, like Mira Fair Trade and Source My Garment, is committed to fair trade values.

“I am passionate about women claiming their potential to be changemakers in our world,” Ballard says. “This is our industry and the problems in this industry are problems we can solve.”

Ballard started her ethical and sustainable fashion brand because she had trouble finding clothes that fit her values, vocation, and aesthetic. After three years and two children, she refined her business to honor both workers and consumers with clothing that is sourced sustainably, is high quality, and functional for working women.

“We are a movement of women demanding more of themselves and others,” says Ballard. To her, ethical fashion is about giving women ownership of their bank accounts, their homes, and communities.

These three women herald a change in the fashion industry—that clothing brands can be catalysts for addressing feminist issues. By paying workers a living wage, women have increased agency in economic decision-making from the household to international institutions, according to UN Women. Additionally, women who are paid more have fewer children due to increased access to education and contraceptives.

Feminist Fashion and Climate Change

Educating women, while a feminist agenda item, also increases resiliency against climate change. Project Drawdown names educating girls and access to birth control as the #6 and #7 most effective solutions to climate change. If you combine them as one goal, they become the top solution. When women are educated, they are more likely to earn their own incomes and determine their own futures on childbearing.

Additionally, women are disproportionately affected by climate change. Around the world, women have fewer rights, funds, and freedoms—these barriers are expected to be exacerbated by the climate crisis. Since around 80 percent of the estimated 60 to 75 million workers in the garment industry are women, according to the Clean Clothes Campaign, the fight for gender justice in the fast fashion industry would empower millions of women around the world.

Sectors like the fashion industry that depend on a female workforce also face material risks. Women are more in tune with community wellbeing and are usually among the first in community response to natural disasters, according to a UN report. The current barriers to equality limit a business’ ability to respond and adapt to the unpredictable realities of a changing climate. If the fashion industry is to adequately prepare for a climate disaster, addressing gender inequalities and building gender-sensitive policies can bolster a company’s resiliency.

As consumers, choosing ethical and sustainable fashion goes beyond voting with your dollar—it manifests substantial change for disenfranchised women workers around the world. Clothing brands based on fair trade principles empower women on both sides of the supply chain. Researching a company’s supply chain and pressuring fast fashion retailers to clean them up fights for the rights of women garment workers and your right to know what is in your clothing.

“In terms of consumers, fashion is identity,” says Ballard. “It’s hugely empowering to say, ‘I’m going to dress myself in a way that fits my body and my values.’” In this sense, fashion is literally wearing your values on your sleeve—and dressing yourself in ethical clothing is a feminist action.

As I began research for the Unraveling Fashion issue, I was able to get the first copy of Elizabeth L. Cline’s new book, The Conscious Closet (Plume, 2019), from my public library. The book is a practical guide to making your closet more ethical and sustainable, by giving tips on looking for quality when shopping, mending instructions, and how to define your tastes to reduce your fashion needs to begin with.

Cline’s first book, Overdressed (Portfolio, 2012), helped document the fast fashion industry and brought new attention to the ethical fashion movement in 2012, just before the Rana Plaza disaster. The journalist and now garment waste expert has seen the movement continue to grow. In our interview, she shared what gets her out of a rut when she gets discouraged and why she wrote the book to be gentle and welcoming.

Eleanor Greene / Green America: You spoke to Terry Gross on Fresh Air in 2013 and said you were 100 percent convinced the Rana Plaza tragedy was the turning point in the sustainable consumption of fashion. Six years later, do you think that was true?

Elizabeth Cline: It absolutely was a pivotal moment. I think that was when the conscious fashion movement was born really. There had been people working on this issue for a long time, but that was when is really coalesced to a global movement. I think that the climate change conversation has also kind of pushed sustainable fashion further, too. So that would be the second inflection point giving this movement its wings. But Rana Plaza was it was a turning point for sure.

Eleanor Greene / Green America: How have you seen people take action and things change?

Elizabeth Cline: There are now probably two dozen NGOs dedicated towards fashion sustainability and fashion ethics. Fashion Revolution [founded in 2013] is one of the organizations that has galvanized literally millions of citizens around the world, to call for greater environmental responsibility and social responsibility and discussions. The United Nations has convened summit on sustainability and fashion. It's on the political agenda in the UK, and France, Germany, and all over Europe.

If I go back in time, when Overdressed came out, like I would go to meetings about the sociopolitical state of the fashion industry, and there would be 20 people in the room. And now it's a global movement of, literally millions of people.

And I do think that aside from the fact that the social movement part of it is very strong, I do feel like that conversation has gone mainstream. Mainstream media covers sustainable fashion, pretty regularly, the fashion press covers it pretty regularly, and fashion brands themselves. That is probably the biggest change in the in the most unexpected change is like how quickly over the last say year or two years, more and more brands have come out with pretty impressive sustainability goals. I mean, they're not doing shit about wages, but nobody wants to destroy the planet because of climate change, and fashion brands are finally doing some really, really interesting things around changing their business models to meet our climate goals, which is amazing and surprising to me.

Eleanor Greene / Green America: You just mentioned companies not doing much about wages. I spoke with someone at the Fair World Project about the Fair Trade Certified label used by many brands not being very trustworthy, and I noticed you recommended it in your book, so I was wondering if you knew about that label being less good for workers and not supplying fair wages.

Elizabeth Cline: I would say that I would agree that we need more, third party, regulating certifications. The fashion industry could learn a lot from the food industry where there are reliable certifications and, guidances for consumers. When I was when I was writing the Conscious Closet, I was like, 'Here's what's available,' but also, in the back of my mind thinking like, 'we need more than this.' And we do need the support of the FCC and the EPA to sort through the claims that brands are making and communicate what, what's real and what's not to consumers. Because if it's difficult for me as a journalist, it's impossible for shoppers.

In the book I give the most real estate to talking about the fight for living wages, which has got to be the goal. It's not enough to give people a little bit extra, we're for, an organization to arbitrarily decide what is going to be paid. A living wage is based on the calculation of the cost of living in an area and it's also considered a human right, by, the International Labour Organization. I've heard these critiques of fair trade, too. For me, with the book, I wanted to make sure to cover everything that was out there.

I talked at length in the book about how few factories there are in the world that pay living wages, and how far we are really from having an ethical fashion industry. Especially right now in this specific moment there is a lot of there is a lot of political will organizing around worker rights after Rana Plaza. But because of the climate change movement which of course is crucial and necessary and so important in society, right now the focus is on sustainability. But we have to make sure we don't abandon the wider mission which is that ethics and sustainability have to go hand in hand, otherwise they're both meaningless.

Eleanor Greene / Green America: Absolutely, there’s a lot to the topic of fair trade. I’m about three quarters of the way through Conscious Closet right now and it feels like there could be an entire book for every chapter you cover. But Green America is absolutely on board that it has to be both good for the planet and good for people for an industry or product to be green.

Elizabeth Cline: Conscious Closet is really about broadening the audience for this movement because a lot of people feel guilty, like they're going to be shamed if they buy a shirt from H&M, or they buy something that was made in a sweatshop. But this is the system we’re in, and it's really difficult to feel like all of your choices are ethical and sustainable. That's also not the goal. The goal is to make the industry more responsible not to create these perfect, conscious consumers, it's more about using our consumer power to make broader change. The book is like very gentle and welcoming. I want people to feel included instead of scared away.

Eleanor Greene / Green America: When you get overwhelmed by the issues with fashion, what do you do to get out of that rut?

Elizabeth Cline: Climate week is such a good example of how I get inspired. Whenever you feel like you're participating and creating that new way of life like that, that that's really rewarding. And for me, it's like everything from when we have a mending party in Brooklyn, a clothing swap, a documentary screening, or a book club, or just when I hear about people meeting up in person to define was their sustainable and ethical existence looks like, that's so, so inspiring to me, because it's really the revolution of everyday life, that, the book is about, and that I think makes like such a big difference.

Like everybody else, I go through cycles of like, pessimism and optimism. But I think if you're a progressive person, it's just your instinct, to keep moving forward, because we do this because it's right. Even if sometimes we feel like, we're never going to reach the ultimate goal. You just have to keep going, because it is just what's right and ethical.

Eleanor Greene / Green America: What first sparked your interest in ethical and sustainable clothing?

Elizabeth Cline: For me does that all the way back to when I was in high school in the 90s and I, I just remember hearing about sweatshops for the first time and, companies like Gap and Old Navy using sweatshops. It was, for me just like a watershed moment, because I couldn't believe that companies that I thought were so cool, that were obviously powerful and had plenty of money, were also exploiting people in other places who were much more vulnerable than I was.

So that that was the moment for me, when I started to politicize when I realized that, I care about social justice about fairness. But Overdressed was inspired by also by how I fell into this habit of shopping for fast fashion. And I got really lured into buying trendy clothes and like getting the best price that I could. And I just thought it was interesting that even for someone like myself who was trying to be careful and socially aware when I shopped, even me, I just wanted to put the best deals. So that was kind of what fired, Overdressed was me wanting to find out like what was behind the rise of disposable fashion.

Eleanor Greene / Green America: From Conscious Closet, it seems like being ethical and sustainable is always on your mind when shopping now?

Elizabeth Cline: It becomes second nature. One of the things that gave me the confidence to write the book is the fact that it's not just me who consumes this way, it's a social movement of millions of people around the world, and everybody has kind of figured out what works. When I first started out, it was like, do I really have to buy, that two-hundred dollar organic, made in the US dress, is that my only choice? And then we all just figured out as a movement, like no, obviously, like, that's not the only choice.

You could shop secondhand, you can also shop your own closet, you can also buy whatever you want, and then just use your voice to communicate with your, your elected leaders and with brands. And then conscious shopping looks so many different ways. Because clothing is personal, but also, because people are coming into this movement from so many different, economic situations and phases in their life.

When I was buying a lot of fast fashion, it was because I was like working in an office in Manhattan and was supposed to look a certain way. But now I'm in my late 30s, I have a totally built out wardrobe, I love my clothes. And it took me a long time to build out my wardrobe. But that's one of the cool things about getting older, I've gotten to assemble the wardrobe that I always wanted. And I couldn't have had that when I was 25. But yeah it's got to be the strategy.

Eleanor Greene / Green America: I think our younger readers would be happy to hear there’s less pressure on them to do everything right. Because it sustainably made can be so expensive and sometimes it seems like those expensive products are the only way.

Elizabeth Cline: A sustainable product is the product that last a long time, people don't always want to hear that. But that's the truth.

We need to be working to extend the life clothing, especially in the United States. We have the most disposable clothing habits in the world, we wear clothes a quarter of the global average, and some consumers wear them as little as one time, like Instagram influencers or something. And it's just really, really bad for the environment. We buy one out of every five garments made in the world. If we know that fashion is responsible for eight to ten percent of carbon emissions, we know that like a large percentage portion of that is like on our shoulders as American consumers. The environmental side of it is connected our excess.

It's important to remind people that it's possible to live really well without buying so much. There's a lot of space in between how we live and consume as Americans and living like a monk. We must find that comfortable space in the middle, where we're still living well and dressing the way we want to and feeling good in our clothes. But also living within the boundaries of our planet.

Though nobody likes having tough conversations around the Thanksgiving table, we at Green America think that having family and friends over is a great time to talk about sustainable Thanksgiving food. These dishes can spark conversations about your values for ethical and sustainable food.

One fun way to get people talking is to bring sides worth dishing about. These delicious dishes will fit right in with your Thanksgiving dinner and can also start a conversation around on important sustainable issues--fair trade, the climate crisis, organic foods, and more. 

Swapping Out Classics for Vegan Versions

Vegan Mashed Potatoes and Vegan Mac & Cheese: Potatoes and mac & cheese are bona fide Thanksgiving classics—satisfy everyone with this delicious and savory mashed potato recipe and this creamy mac & cheese. 

The Issues with these Classic Dishes:  

• Carbon emissions aren’t just from cars and factories. The cows that produce the milk, butter, and cheese used in standard mashed potato and mac and cheese recipes also contribute to the climate crisis. While meat gets more attention for its carbon emissions, much of the emissions coming from that industry aren’t from the slaughterhouse but from the production of the grain feed. This feed also has a secondary effect, as it forces methane out of the animals’ digestive systems. Notably, methane has an even greater warming effect than CO2. 

• Industrial agriculture can be cruel and harm the environment; these recipes cut the animal agriculture industry out of the picture. In addition to the emissions from the feed, the feeding operations at industrial dairy farms are cramped and unethical, as cows are forced to eat on concrete floors, surrounded side-to-side by other cattle.  

How to Talk about Going Vegan:

• Carbon emission from vegan ingredients are considerably lower than other foods, although some ingredients may still be GMO. 
• You can get the same creamy texture to your mashed potatoes without sacrificing your commitment to environmental sustainability. There’s no downside to making the switch to vegan dishes, they can improve your health and protect the earth 

Fair Trade Cranberry Sauce

No Thanksgiving meal would truly be complete without a sweet cranberry sauce—but non-fair-trade sugar could contribute to harming workers, and without using organic sugar, you’re almost certain to be using genetically engineered sugar from GMO sugar beets. By using fair trade sugar and leaving out corn syrup, your cranberry sauce will spark conversation about labor rights and GMOs. 

The Issues with Cranberry Sauce:  

• Without fair trade certification, your sugar could be produced on farms and plantation without any labor protections, whether against forced labor or child labor. Further, some fair trade organizations implement environmental policies to ensure farms are protecting our water and soil. Both the Fair Trade Certified™ label and Fairtrade America prohibit the use of certain herbicides and encourage farmers to grow organic crops. 
• Corn syrup is higher in fructose than normal table sugar and is almost certain to use GMO crops, as is regular table sugar in the US. 
• GMO crops allow for massive pesticide use, as they are engineered to be resistant to certain herbicides and pesticides. Although Monsanto claimed GMOs would reduce overall use of herbicides, studies have found that herbicide use has only ballooned with the introduction of GMOs. Some notable herbicides include dicamba, a chemical known to harm worker health, as well as known carcinogens 2,4-D and glyphosate. 
• GMOs also promote monocropping, the growth of only one type for crop variety in the same plot of land for a long period, which depletes nutrients in the soil and reduces the soil’s fertility. This forces farmers to use supplements, like nitrogen and phosphorous, that pollute waterways and cause dead zones in the oceans, killing marine life. 

How to Talk about GMOs and Fair Trade: 

• Your cranberry sauce will taste the same – the only difference is that you can assure your conscience that your sugar isn’t being produced by exploited labor and child workers. 

• Corn syrup can be easily replaced in most recipes, and not using it reduces the market for GMO goods and industrially produced corn, which can hurt soil vitality. It’s also very important to replace corn syrup with organic, fair-trade sugar to avoid replacing GMO corn with GMO sugar and to ensure you’re not supporting unethical labor practices. 

• It’s nearly impossible to guarantee that your corn syrup is GMO-free because 92 percent of corn crops in the US are GMOs. If your family isn’t concerned about potential health effects directly from GMOs, remind them that GMO crops are often created to allow greater herbicide and pesticide use, which impacts workers, soil health, pollinators, and our water. 

  • Monsanto’s RoundUp, the most commonly used herbicide in the US, is a known carcinogen and the company is facing tens of thousands of lawsuits for cancer cases related to the chemical. 

  • Runoff from conventional agriculture, both from overuse of water and the pesticides, contaminates the water supply and kills aquatic animals, leaving a less diverse ecosystem. 

  • The pesticides don’t leave once the crops are harvested—residue from dozens of chemicals remain on produce in the grocery store. 

Dessert 

After dinner’s wrapped up, bring out this chocolate mousse or any other dessert using fair trade chocolate to end your meal with some delicious sweets while drawing attention to the use of child labor in the chocolate industry.  

The Issues with Conventional Cocoa:

• We’ve just discussed why fair trade is important, but chocolate producers have a greater need for certification than many other food industries 
• Child labor and forced labor are widespread on cocoa plantations, and these groups are responsible for massive deforestation as well 
  • Companies may not always be transparent about their environmental policies, but Green America determined what efforts major chocolate companies are undertaking to end deforestation. 

How to Talk about Ethical and Sustainable Chocolate: 

• Chocolate supply chains can be more complex than simply looking at fair trade certification. Companies need to have innovative solutions to instances of child labor and react to a changing supply chain. 
• Along with the more complex problems in the chocolate supply chain, Green America has a scorecard ranking various chocolate companies on child labor, fair trade certification, farmer compensation, and deforestation. 
• Your family can use this scorecard to figure out which chocolate companies are exploiting child and forced labor and destroying forests and which are ethically sourcing your sweets. Avoid buying from Mondelez, Ferrero, and Godiva, which all received a grade of D or worse. In particular, Godiva has no labor certification process in place and received an F-grade from Green America. 

Not Cooking? Try an Organic Wine Pairing 

You don’t need to make an elaborate dish to get people interested in green living—your choice of wine could. Pick out an organic wine from any of these certified organic wine sellers for a high-quality dinner pairing and an excellent conversation starter. 

The Issues with Wine:  

• Organic is more than just a label—let your family know why they should select organic options when possible 
• Conventional wine production involves the use of toxic pesticides. In California alone, 25 million pounds of pesticides were applied to wine grapes. 
• Conventional farming can also be harmful to workers on small farms, as mass produced crops can be easily produced by agribusiness. Meanwhile, organic farming can be done at a smaller scale, leaving room for small farmers. 

How to Talk about Conventional vs. Organic:  

• Organic food isn’t only better because of the lessened effect on the soil as a result of not using toxic pesticides- it even has an impact on climate change. Investigations have found that transitioning all US crops to organic would have the equivalent impact of reducing our emissions of 1.6 billion tons of CO2 per year. 
• As you’re talking about your drink over the dinner table, you can talk about how it helps make your water safer as well. Runoff from conventional agriculture infects our water sources. 
• Organic wine sellers exist all around the country and usually hope to serve their local community. By buying from these local companies, you have the added effect of reducing the environmental cost of transporting your wine. 

You can start up a conversation about green living with your friends and family this Thanksgiving by preparing one—or even all!—of these dishes. Your delicious sustainable dishes will help you raise awareness about crucial issues like the climate crisis, fair trade, and the downsides of GMO crops. These dishes can also be made year-round, so you can enjoy organic and fair-trade meals as often as you’d like. Have a Happy and sustainable Thanksgiving! 

Finally, it’s not hard to find green and ethical clothing in mainstream stores any more. While it’s a great thing that fair trade and sustainable fabrics are in front of millions of shoppers, green claims are worth checking out. Green America looked into popular brands with “green” offerings, Madewell, Target, Everland, and H&M to see if they are truly green or just greenwashing.

Fair Trade at Madewell and Target

You can get a pair of jeans for around $130 from Madewell’s Fair Trade Certified line. Madewell is owned by J.Crew, which got one of our lowest scores on Green America’s Toxic Textiles Scorecard because of its lack of transparency in its sustainability and labor policies—if it has policies on those issues, it’s keeping them a secret.

Target’s Fair Trade Certified jeans cost around $40 a pair. Target was the top-rated company in Green America’s Toxic Textiles report, because it clearly reports its environmental and social policies and shares its progress in most of the categories we looked at. Unfortunately, one of the areas where we found it fell short was in factory safety reporting.

Both Madewell’s and Target’s denim lines hold the Fair Trade Factory Certified label from Fair Trade USA. Unfortunately, the label may not be as strong as customers think, partly because it only certifies the factory where the garments are sewn, not where cotton is grown, dyed, or woven. Labor and environmental abuses occur frequently lower in the supply chain. By not verifying those conditions, companies leave themselves open to the risk of profiting off of human and environmental exploitation.

Anna Canning, campaigns manager at Fair World Project, a fair trade watchdog agency, explains that the Fair Trade Certified factories are inspected once a year and even those workers rarely take home a living wage.

Even companies that have a strong record on organic and recycled materials, like Pact Apparel and Patagonia, both produce clothes using this certification, instead of a stronger one like Fairtrade America or Fairtrade International. Unfortunately, those labels are more likely to be found on chocolate bars or bananas than clothing in US stores. So, when it comes to fashion, a good label to look for is GOTS Certified, as it addresses organic content, added chemicals, and labor through the production of a garment (though not including the harvesting of any crops).

And when it comes to buying denim, your best bets are buying used or from truly green companies; see the end of the article to learn how to identify those green companies. You can read more about what truly fair trade supply chains look like in “From Fast to Fair Fashion."

Radically Transparent Everlane

Everlane came onto the ethical clothing scene in 2010 and has gained popularity with its tagline, “radical transparency.” It’s rare for customers to see supply chain information next to sizes and price—with each product, you can click through a series of links to learn about the factories where the piece is produced.

But what you end up learning isn’t quite “radical.” For example, it identifies the factory where a cashmere sweater was made, but gives no information about workers’ pay, nor of the practices used by farmers that raise the goats needed to create the textile; it says only that the cashmere comes from Mongolia.

Even though Everlane emphasizes on paper the importance of good craftsmanship and timeless pieces, Good on You says “Everlane fails to live up to its own hype.” Everlane has not adopted any meaningful standards like fair trade, organic, or others. Everlane declined to comment on its knowledge of farmers working down the supply chain in cashmere and cotton. The company also does not disclose its supplier code of conduct or its sustainability policies, which leaves consumers unable to compare it to other
companies. In short, its transparency is radically underwhelming.

Eco-Conscious H&M

Each piece in H&M’s Conscious collection includes at least some organic cotton, recycled polyester, or Tencel. Paired with the brands’ in-store clothing recycling program, H&M might be looking pretty green; but these programs aren’t indicative of H&M as a
whole. Only 0.1 percent of donations to its in-store recycling boxes are recycled into new textiles, admitted Henrik Lampa, H&M’s Development Sustainability Manager in 2016.

H&M’s business model is to keep people coming back into stores often for inexpensive clothes—to do that, it brings cheap new looks into stores about every other day, which satisfies customers’ tastes for novelty. It’s a wasteful model—after the 2017 holiday season, H&M reported it had an inventory of unsold clothing worth $4.3 billion.

The Clean Clothes Campaign included H&M in its 2019 Tailored Wages report and found that it was not paying its factory workers down the supply chain enough to pay for basic needs such as housing, health care, food, and education for children. In fact, none of the 20 global brands assessed in the report were paying a living wage.

“H&M’s constant demand for new fashions pushes unrealistic production times on suppliers, all while asking for extraordinarily low prices for those products,” says Charlotte Tate, labor justice campaigns manager at Green America. “Workers and our planet end up bearing the brunt of this unsustainable model.”

Finding Truly Green Clothing

The moral of this story is to check out company claims. When it comes to finding truly green products, clothing or anything else, the key is to do your research and ask questions. A great place to start is with the clothing section at GreenPages.org, where you can find businesses that have gone through Green America’s rigorous certification program and are Certified Green Businesses. The most sustainable garments are those that last a long time, so consider buying secondhand and higher quality new items to make the most of every piece.

Resources for fact-checking greenwashing

When you walk into a store or find yourself on a website where things seem to have “green marketing,” it’s a good idea to do a little research for yourself.

Step 1: Look closely at the label and tags or online listing for the product. Does it back up claims like “natural” or “sustainable” with certifications or explanations?

Step 2: If you’re not already online, pull up the brand’s website. Look around for a sustainability page. On that page, do they identify specific processes, or just speak vaguely about valuing people and/or planet?

Step 3: If you’re coming up short or only finding vague information, look deeper. This article was informed by knowledge gained in creating our 2019 Toxic Textiles Report, which includes a scorecard rating 20 top companies selling clothes in the US based on what they are doing to protect the environment and treat people well. Other sources shoppers can use to investigate green or fair claims are Fashion Revolution’s Fashion Transparency Index or the Clean Clothes Campaign’s Tailored Wages report.

The website and app Good On You has a database with rankings for clothing and shoe brands on a five-point scale, from “We Avoid” to “Great” based on company policies/practices regarding the environment, labor, and use of animal products.

Of course, GreenPages.org includes only Green Business Network members certified through Green America’s rigorous process, which you can learn about here.

Green America has long called for a large-scale transition from conventional agriculture to a regenerative model that sequesters carbon as we work to reverse the climate crisis. Through our green economy campaigns like Soil SuperHeroes and Climate Victory Gardens, and our Center for Sustainability Solutions’ Soil Carbon Index—the world’s first agricultural standard for soil health—we are leveraging the power of farmers, food companies, scientists, consumers, and other stakeholders to demand change and transform the system.

Regeneration is for every facet of society that involves cultivating the land, and that includes the production of fibers, fuel, and forests. Our Toxic Textiles report uncovered that textiles manufacturing accounts for 20 percent of industrial water pollution and the fast fashion industry is responsible for eight percent of global greenhouse emissions, according to the sustainability metrics company Quantis.

Can you imagine if one of the dominant fibers used to make our clothes was grown with techniques so sustainable and in concert with nature that its production helped the planet? That’s the vision regenerative cotton farming presents to the world.

To view the full-sized infographic, click here.

Memorably called “the fabric of our lives” by the industry, cotton is the most commonly used fabric for clothing in the world, and it grows in over 100 countries and accounts for 2.5 percent of the globe’s cultivated land. Humans have been cultivating cotton for over 7,000 years and its soft, pliable properties have made it popular for clothes. But, unsustainable practices like the use of pesticides, nitrogen-based fertilizers, and genetically modified seeds have contributed to the climate crisis.

Some of the world’s largest cotton-producers are in precarious situations. India, the world’s second largest cotton producer, is experiencing severe water scarcity exacerbated by the cotton industry, according to the Water Footprint Network. And China, the world’s leading cotton producer, is struggling to manage a growing population of mirid bugs—a major pest that has been thriving under the country’s warming temperatures and feasting on cotton.

With a commitment to the soil where cotton grows, we can reverse environmental damage and quell associated threats to communities. By ditching mechanization, pesticides, an chemical fertilizers for no-till methods, animal integration, and composting on an industry-wide scale, we can better protect farmers and reduce chemical pollution. These methods could even quench cotton’s thirst, since nurturing soil health is proven to improve the crop’s water retention.

Molecular biologist and California  State University adjunct professor David C. Johnson, Ph.D, has developed an advanced soil health management system  that works for cotton and anything else with roots in the ground, called Biologically Enhanced Agricultural Management (BEAM). This practice replenishes soil microbes in soil that has been degraded through conventional farming methods. Johnson is a member of Green America’s Carbon Farming Network, and is working closely with us on scalinghis solutions.

“The Carbon Farming Innovation Network is engaging with apparel companies and farmers who supply them that are advancing regenerative agriculture,” says Mary Johnson [no relation], director of that network at Green America’s Center for Sustainable Solutions.

Though US apparel companies are still in the earliest stages of bringing regenerative cotton products to market, breakthroughs are happening. In September 2018, The North Face unveiled its Cali Wool Collection, which showcases clothing and accessories produced from regenerative methods on California farms. In 2019, Wrangler announced a new line of denim jeans that, though not grown regeneratively, use 30 percent recycled cotton and eliminate 99 percent of water used in the dyeing process.

Green America looks forward to expanding our work with apparel companies for a regenerative future. To help us jump-start that, reach out to your favorite clothing companies and ask them to adopt the Soil Carbon Index.

It’s easy to ignore the huge influence garments have on workers and the planet. Luckily, activists and businesses are working to make the fashion industry better. If you wear clothes, you can too.

Recycling is a daily practice for many of us, but it can be hard to know if it’s really helping the planet like we’d hope. As we toss recyclables into our curbside bins it can feel like an individual action that doesn’t yield much of an impact.

But what we do as individuals feeds into a larger system of many processes, industries, and impacts. While there are no “silver bullets” to addressing the climate crisis, recycling is an important part of managing materials more sustainably. And it’s in need of repair.

So, the short answer is, yes, recycling helps the climate. But the longer answer is, it helps the most when the system actually works. Recycling is currently facing challenges nationwide, but there are solutions, and if we can scale them up, recycling will have a bigger impact on the climate crisis.

What’s the problem?

A downturn in global recycling markets has recently brought attention to what isn’t working. The US used to sell a third of our recyclables in overseas markets, with the majority selling to companies in China. But the past few years, as many recycling programs have moved to single stream (putting all recyclables in one bin), we’ve seen a big increase in contamination (dirty items or stuff that can’t go in your curbside bin). For a long time, China accepted recyclables of any quality, but last year it released a policy putting strict contamination limits on incoming recyclables. This has caused huge disruption in the US recycling system, affecting some counties and states more severely than others.

Why fix recycling?

There are big climate benefits to keeping materials out of landfills and incinerators. In fact, landfills make up the third largest source of methane emissions in the US. A bulk of these emissions come from food waste, proving that increasing compost access is essential while we improve recycling. Trash incineration, often called “waste to energy,” emits harmful air pollutants and releases millions of tons of CO2.

But recycling is much more than just an alternative to landfills or incineration. There are substantial benefits to swapping virgin materials, extracted through mining and deforestation, with using recycled equivalents. Across a range of materials, using recycled content instead virgin content cuts energy use and emissions when manufacturing new goods.

Energy makes up the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. It’s critical that we eliminate the use of fossil fuels, shift to renewable energy sources, and maximize energy efficiency. And the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies using recycled materials as a top way to reduce industrial energy use.

Since recycled materials have already been processed, it takes less energy to process them again. For example, turning trees into the pulp needed to make paper products requires energy and other resources like water. But turning old paper into pulp for new products cuts down on the resources needed. And materials such as glass and aluminum can be recycled infinitely without degrading their quality. It’s even estimated that 75 percent of all aluminum ever produced in the US is still in use today.

The EPA reports that using recycled materials reduces energy and emissions, even when accounting for the transportation of materials. Using recycled glass and certain plastics instead of virgin materials can reduce environmental impacts more than 50 percent. Recycled paper and aluminum reduce environmental impacts between 70-85 percent.

And these reductions add up. Our national recycling rate, meaning the amount of materials recycled and composted from our total waste, is roughly 35 percent. This reportedly reduces 184 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, or the equivalent of taking 39 million cars off the road. And it would be even greater if the US surpassed a 50 percent recycling rate and joined world leaders like Germany and Taiwan.

Recycling is a key part of the circular economy and there are clear climate benefits to using recycled materials. It’s also true that recycling ranks 55th in Project Drawdown’s top 100 ways to cut emissions that are causing the climate crisis, with the potential to cut 2.77 gigatons of greenhouse gases.

As Project Drawdown notes, recycling remains an effective way to manage waste while addressing emissions, reducing resource extraction, and creating jobs. However, it must be part of a multi-prong approach.

There’s a big reason why the order of the 3 R’s is, “reduce, reuse, recycle.”

Reducing first allows us to stop waste before it’s even generated, making it the most environmentally preferable option. There must be an emphasis on reducing waste at the source, reusing materials, and then recycling.

Future of Recycling

To address the climate crisis, we need fundamental societal transformations. This means holding polluters accountable and replacing wasteful systems with equitable, sustainable ones. And for recycling to be an effective piece of this, emissions need to be centered in the goals of recycling companies, manufacturers, and local governments.

As Dan Leif, editor for Resource Recycling, has stated, “If recycling programs and companies want to be ready to serve those leaders of tomorrow, they need to start acting from an ‘emissions first’ perspective right now.”

In September, Republic Services became the first US recycling and waste company to have its emissions reduction target approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI), meaning it’s consistent with requirements of the Paris Agreement. The company is aiming to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 35 percent below its 2017 levels by 2030. But to advance sustainability in the recycling system itself, all companies need to set their sights on reducing direct emissions.

Changing Habits and Systems

So, does recycling help the climate? Absolutely. Should we always strive to reduce and reuse first? Without question. We can use materials more sustainably in our communities while demanding larger systemic changes to fight the climate crisis.

There are lots of opportunities to fix what isn’t working in recycling, and many people are rising to the challenge. Policymakers at federal and state levels are proposing legislation to reduce waste and update our recycling infrastructure. Organizations and individuals are holding companies accountable for the waste their products generate and urging for better use of recycled materials. And many municipalities are launching widespread recycling education campaigns (in Michigan, even raccoons are getting the word out).

Improving recycling means practicing good daily habits, like following local recycling guidelines and making sure recyclables are empty and dry before putting them in a bin. But there are many other ways to get involved in creating a more sustainable, effective recycling system.

• Recycling programs are managed locally, so your voice as a resident really matters. You can start by learning what's going on in your area. Contact your municipality's waste division and ask a few questions: What is the local recycling rate? Are there goals to improve recycling, expand compost options, and reduce contamination? And learn how community members can best get involved to drive improvements.
• To ensure that recyclables are used in a closed loop, contact companies on social media or email. You can ask if they use recycled materials and if they've consulted the industries that have to process their discarded products to ensure that they're truly recyclable or compostable. 
• Urge your state representatives to push for policies at the national level that will reduce waste and support recycling and compost programs. Call their offices or attend a local town hall event to learn how they plan to address waste.

From minimalists to ethically-made-or-nothing-at-all, environmentalists can be hard to buy for. But our resident outdoor expert and editorial fellow Mary Meade collected a list of eco-friendly gifts and sustainable products from our Green Business Network members that’ll be sure to get your friends and family stoked for their next adventures— or treat yourself before you next head for the trails.

New Wave Enviro Products makes beautiful water bottles inspired by the World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet Report and the importance of protecting endangered species. Like this stainless steel 600 ml Endangered Species Collection Panda Bottle ($21), each bottle comes with a looped lid which can easily be clipped to a backpack or slid into a bicycle’s bottle holder. The sports top makes it ideal for running, cycling, and other activities where a screw top would be a hassle. 

Green Guru Gear makes outdoor gear from used bike innertubes, wetsuits, climbing rope, and more. Each product is created by upcycling these materials, so no two are the same. This colorful Joyride 24L Roll Top Backpack ($100) is made from upcycled industrial fabrics, reflective street signs, and shoulder harnesses. Its storm-proof, colorful fabric makes it great for the woods and stylish for the city. 

This eco-friendly chain oil is a perfect alternative to conventional petroleum-based bike lubricants for the cyclist in your life. An EPA Safer Choice and USDA Certified Biobased Product, Eco Sheep’s Everyday Chain Lube ($9.99) is made with lanolin, a naturally occurring oil produced by sheep to protect their wool against moisture. Eco Sheep also stocks additional chain lubes for mountain bikes, electric bikes, and extreme conditions. 

Camping’s no fun when you get eaten by bugs. Illuminate the outdoors while eliminating the blood-suckers with this 10.8 oz Citronella Candle ($17) from Big Dipper Wax Works. Handcrafted with locally-sourced beeswax, soy wax, and essential oils in a tin of at least 75 percent recycled metal, this candle will keep you safe from biting bugs for up to 80 hours. The avid camper in your life will thank you for it. 

Located in western Maine, GrandyOats Granola is a solar-powered, non-GMO, organic granola company. For 35 years, GrandyOats has made its granola by hand in small batches. Its Organic Antioxidant Trail Mix ($33 for 3 lbs) was named #1 trail mix by Sierra Magazine and is a vegan super food blend of seeds, nuts, and fruits—perfect for powering your outdoor adventures. 

This Kaa Sports Disc ($14.99) by Pocket Disc is a colorful frisbee designed for outdoor fun. It’s made by Mayan women artisans in Guatemala who are paid a fair wage, set their own hours, and work from home. Pocket Disc frisbees are crocheted, so they are soft and can pack down into a bag or pocket—a great gift for the ultralight traveler. 

Light, breathable clothing like this Gianna Tank ($34) is a must for hot summer adventures. GAIAM’s organic cotton apparel line includes clothing for yoga, pilates, and fitness. Whether at an outdoor yoga retreat or trail running, you’ll be comfortable in this soft and breezy tank. 

Does your favorite adventurer already have everything they need?

Instead of giving more stuff, donate to an environmental organization in their name. Whether that be a one-time donation or a recurring one, putting your cash where their activism is shows you care in a special way. If that organization happens to be Green America, donations support our campaigns and have led to big victories.

For more eco-friendly gift ideas, explore the Green Pages to learn about sustainable businesses chock full of green gifts!

Tackling Sanitation and Soil in Haiti

          One book was all it took to lead Dr. Sasha Kramer on the path to a tremendous impact by providing environmental sustainability and sanitation solutions in Haiti and globally. In a graduate class at Stanford University, Dr. Kramer read Eyes of the Heart: A Path for the Poor in the Age of Globalization written by President Aristide of Haiti, and the book’s call to action to empower women, children and the poor to address inequality was a powerful driver.

Dr. Kramer is an ecologist, human rights advocate, Executive Director and co-founder of SOIL.  SOIL’s mission statement is to promote dignity, health, and sustainable livelihoods through the transformation of wastes into resources. SOIL transforms human waste into a regenerative agriculture solution. Dr. Kramer has won several awards and recognition for her humanitarian work, including being named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer, an Architect of the Future with the Waldzell Institute, a 2014 Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year, an Ashoka Fellow, and a 2017 Sarphati Sanitation Prize Lifetime Achievement winner.

Dr. Kramer recalls, “In 2004, President Aristide was overthrown in a US-backed coup. When I read about the coup in the in the US media, I realized what I was reading was so dramatically different from the vision that I had at that of the Haitian grassroots democracy movement. I wanted to understand it better, so I found a group in the San Francisco Bay Area called the Haiti Action Committee. They were sending people to Haiti to observe the demonstrations that were happening in the aftermath of the coup.”

 The moment she stepped foot in northern Haiti and met the people she immediately fell in love. She frequently revisited Haiti while finishing up graduate school. In the course of those two years, Dr. Kramer says that sanitation, access to toilets, malnutrition, cost of food, and the challenges of farming were the repeated challenges she recognized from her interactions within the community. With her passion for ecology she wanted to figure out a way to incorporate all those challenges into a solution. As she states ecological sanitation just happened to be a very nice way to use ecological systems to address a wide range of basic human rights issues such as access to food, access to sanitation, and living in a clean environment.

When asked why do you tackle soil and sanitation at the same time? And why is it important to consider these two issues together? Dr. Kramer replied, “It occurred to me that if we are excreting all of the nutrients that we are consuming once we become adults, one of the keys to sustainable food provision in the future will be finding a way to harness all of those nutrients that we’re excreting. Let’s get them out of aquatic ecosystems where they’re making people and other creature sick, and back onto the land where they can restore soil fertility… [R]e-establishing this broken nutrient cycle through the recycling of the food we eat which is eventually the food we excrete. So, for me, sanitation and food are inextricably connected both in the sense that you wouldn't poop if you didn't eat, and eventually if we don't capture the nutrients in that poop, we’re not going to be able to eat anymore.”

To combat the severe sanitation crisis, in 2006, Dr. Kramer and SOIL developed the first composting toilet in Haiti. The compost-based toilet is locally-constructed and low-cost and does not require upfront infrastructure investments as is the case with sewers. Studies have shown that the use of latrines and sewer systems where the waste is left in one place (septic tanks, hole in ground, or ponds) produce high amounts of methane. Whereas, the use of composting container-based toilets would significantly reduce the amount of methane in the air as well as prevent waste from entering the soil and aquatic ecosystems, posing a threat to local communities and the environment.

The process of transporting waste from the households to the  waste treatment facility and then transforming it into the soil is very simple. First, the containers are collected once every week and exchanged for new ones. Second, the containers are brought to the treatment facility where it is thermophilically composted, removing pathogens and creating a nutrient-rich compost. Lastly, the nutrients collected from the waste are restored into the soil providing valuable fertilization for agriculture and reforestation. Since building the first waste treatment facility in Haiti in 2009, SOIL has become one of the largest waste treatment operations in the country, treating over 40 metric tons of waste each month. Dr. Kramer states that SOIL’s impacts in Haiti include increased sanitation coverage, improved soil fertility and climate resilience.

According to the 2018 Global Climate Risk Index, Haiti was ranked number one among the top ten countries affected by climate change in 2016. Although, Haiti “produces 82 times fewer emissions per capita compared to the U.S…” it has the ability to provide a positive example in the effort towards mitigating climate change globally.

Visit SOIL in Haiti for more information. 

Farm-to-food collaboration aims to boost regenerative oat production in the U.S.

By: Ken Roseboro, The Organic Non-GMO Report 

Soil health and reduced nitrogen and herbicide use benefits

“Our members identified that they want to grow more small grains because there are a lot of benefits from a farmer perspective,” says Alisha Bower, PFI’s strategic initiatives manager.

The challenge with growing small grains is finding markets. The grain handling system in Iowa and other Midwest states is structured for corn and soybeans. Farmers can’t take their oats to a local grain elevator, which isn’t likely equipped to handle them.

In 2016, PFI received a Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) from the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), which offers a cost share of $25 per acre to farmers for growing a small grain followed by a cover crop. The cost share helps to reduce the risk of growing small grains if markets aren’t available.

“We started to ask: can we buy U.S. oats?”

In 2017 and 2018, PFI and Sustainable Food Lab, a non-profit that helps food companies implement sustainability innovations, co-hosted events attended by representatives of major food and beverage companies to highlight the ecological benefits of adding small grains to crop rotations.

Through these meetings, PFI connected with Oatly, a Sweden-based oat milk manufacturer that had expanded to the U.S. in 2016.

“When we came to the U.S. it was important to us as a company focused on sustainability to establish operations here,” says Sara Fletcher, Oatly’s communications and public affairs lead. “We started to ask: can we buy U.S. oats? Is it possible and would that benefit us from a sustainability perspective and also benefit the farmers and the land?”

Oatly, which is seeing strong demand for its oat milk products in the U.S., has been purchasing oats from Canada where most of the food-grade oats in North America are grown.

“Oatly said ‘we buy oats, and we’d like to support farmer profitability and local market development, so how can we work together on this?’ ” Bower says.

Working with PFI, Oatly launched a pilot project to source oats from Midwest farmers. Four farmers in Iowa and Minnesota were recruited to grow oats in 2019 as part of their corn and soybean crop rotations. They would also grow a cover crop that would be planted after the oats were harvested. The farmers would receive the $25 per acre cost share from PFI as part of the NRCS grant. Minneapolis-based Grain Millers would buy the oats from the farmers on a three-year contract and supply them to Oatly.

“We want to see if we can get more oats in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa where they’re shown to be beneficial for soil health and try to convince growers that it can be profitable as well,” says Beth Stebbins, program coordinator, sustainability program at Grain Millers.

Breaks pest, weed cycles, improves water quality, reduces greenhouse gases

Oats are a cool season crop that’s planted in early spring and harvested in mid-summer. By contrast, corn and soybeans are planted later in the spring and harvested in fall, and the short two-crop rotation is susceptible to insect pests and weeds. Planting oats earlier followed by a cover crop like clover or peas helps to break the insect and weed cycles, reducing the amount of herbicides used.

Water quality, a major issue in Iowa and other Midwest states because of nitrogen runoff into waterways, is also improved by having roots in the ground throughout the year.

“Having oats growing in the field in April, a rainy month, soaks up water to prevent soil erosion and keep nutrients from flowing down to the Gulf of Mexico,” Bower says.

Perhaps the biggest benefit to growing oats is the potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural production, which contribute to climate change. According to Matt Liebman’s research, a clover cover crop grown after oats can add enough nitrogen to the soil to reduce a farmer’s need for fossil fuel-based nitrogen fertilizer by as much as 80 pounds.

“We’re avoiding a lot of emissions by reducing those fertilizer applications,” Bower says.

“Our source ingredient (oats) can have an active role in mitigating climate change; it’s very exciting,” Fletcher says.

Another benefit to growing oats in the U.S. is that farmers here won’t desiccate or dry them down with glyphosate herbicide, a practice that is common on oats in Canada. “It’s not an issue with U.S. growers. In the U.S., oats are harvested in July and it’s pretty dry,” says Eric DeBlieck, Grain Millers crop specialist.

Grain Millers also has a policy to not accept oats that have been desiccated with glyphosate.

“Growers did the best they could”

The four farmers recruited for the pilot project planted oats this year on about 500 acres combined.

Fletcher says they were initially a little skeptical. “There was a mixed response to the idea of oat milk; one farmer said he’d rather eat his oats. But there was excitement around growing of the oats and to see the commitment from Grain Millers as buyer and from Oatly as the final market as well.”

One of the farmers, Jordan Ellis, in Graettinger, Iowa, says he was excited but also “a little intimidated” about growing oats.

“Adding a third crop in our rotation was something we really want to do. Oats seemed like a good fit,” he says.

Despite Iowa’s history of producing oats, there is a lack of information about how to do it since it has fallen out of favor in recent years.

“One of the challenges is that we haven’t had a lot of research and development in oats and oat production for a long time,” Bower says. “There are a limited number of farmers doing this, and not a lot of info on best practices or how to do it.”

The farmers also faced a challenging year for planting with heavy rains in the Midwest last spring, which reduced the yields.

Despite the weather challenges, the farmers produced an acceptable crop of oats. Three of the four farmers met Grain Millers’ 36-pound test weight specification for food grade oats.

“A good amount of the oats made food grade specifications, which is fantastic,” Fletcher says.

“The growers really did the best they could to get the best crop they could with the weather conditions. We’re fairly happy,” DeBlieck says.

PFI is tracking results of the pilot program, quantifying economic and environmental data based on surveys with the farmers. “The idea is to track the farmers’ data over three years to see if oats are profitable and can be part of a profitable rotation, which is shown to be better for the environment,” Stebbins says.

For farmers who don’t meet food-grade specifications, Grain Millers also offers the opportunity to sell their oats for animal feed. “We’re trying to offer alternative markets if a food-grade market specification isn’t met,” DeBlieck says.

In fact, oats for feed is a much bigger potential market for farmers. Only two million acres of oats is needed to supply the market for food products such as oatmeal, cereals, and oat milk. By contrast, livestock consume 23 times more oats than people, according to Bower.

“Growing oats for food is definitely an important shift, but from a birds eye view of land use in the U.S. it would hardly move the needle,” she says. “For broader change we need to engage the feed and fuel sectors which dominate the uses of grain grown in this country. We know we can feed oats and other small grains to livestock, so that seems like a good place to start.”

“Raising food, not just a crop”

Oatly is happy with the first year’s results. Fletcher says there was a lot of learning and the collaboration with PFI and Grain Millers is “one of the best partnerships I’ve ever been involved in.”

“There is so much good energy about finding ways to be innovative in agriculture and finding ways to connect private companies like us directly with growers.”

Stebbins is also happy with the pilot project.

“The growers really like the program and working with Oatly. All in all I think everyone is pretty happy with the program,” she says.

“I think it’s good,” Ellis says. “To have a company like Oatly along with Grain Millers and PFI offer that incentive for a specific crop; it’s something that can lead farmers to say ‘yes let’s give a shot.’ ”

Oatly wants to expand the project. “How do we scale this up? How do we insure that this goes from a pilot to part of our sourcing? That is a question that we are trying to figure out,” Fletcher says.

The project will expand in 2020 with the goal of increasing the number of farmers participating to 12-15 and the oat acres to 1500.

“The more acres the better,” Fletcher says.

More farmers are interested. “I’ve gotten phone calls out of the blue from many farmers about participating. I’m hopeful,” Bower says.

Overall, the number of oat acres in Iowa has grown from 33,000 in 2018 to 80,000 in 2019. Fletcher thinks the project can create a model for sourcing directly from farmers that other, larger food manufacturers can follow.

“Consumers are curious about where their food comes from; they want to have a connection with the farmers who are growing the oats in their oat milk.”

One of those farmers, Jordan Ellis, has gone from being skeptical about oat milk to feeding it to his one-year-old son, Knox, who has trouble digesting cow’s milk. “It’s exciting to raise a food source for a product that will be used in our family as a necessity. Another thing is that, as farmers, we are raising food, not just a crop,” he says.

Green America retired the National Green Pages in 2019.

We are excited to announce our new publication Your Green Life! It's your green living guide to easily make greener, smarter, and safer choices for your home, life, and the planet! 

Whether you’re beginning a green journey or have been with us for years, we hope you’ll be inspired to green one more area of your life, starting wherever you find interest. If your friends ask how to be greener, we hope you’ll share Your Green Life.

For those of you familiar with our National Green Pages, you’ll notice that Your Green Life has just as much great green living information and tips as that longstanding publication. And, we’re going greener by putting all our green business listings online only, still at GreenPages.org, where you’ll find thousands of great green products and services.

Tezahn is a unique herbal cold infusion that transforms your plain water into a divine tasting detox water, that supports building a strong Immunity for Life. The ingredients used are a unique blend of 100% Organic herbs and spices which are a powerhouse of antioxidants with natural wellness promoting properties.

Yes, we are grateful for your support! Please use this PayPal link to donate: https://paypal.me/GreenAmerica 

After the launch of our Toxic Textiles campaign, you may be wondering how I can make sure children in my family or social network are not being exposed to harmful chemicals? Unfortunately, this is a difficult task.

For example, in our recent Toxic Textile’s report, we found that Carter’s had some of the worst environmental and social practices out of all the US apparel companies examined, while also dominating the children’s clothing market. Most importantly, Carter’s lacks public policies to prohibit toxic chemicals in its factories and in the clothing it sells. As a customer, you don’t know what toxins are in your clothes. And, Carter’s owns other brands as well like: OshKosh B’gosh, Skip Hop, Simple Joys (sold exclusively on Amazon), Just One You (sold in Target), Genuine Kids (sold in Target), Child of Mine (sold in Walmart), and Precious Firsts (sold in Target). Carter’s is a leading children’s clothing brand and boasts of selling “more than 10 products for every child born in the US.”  

And, it’s not like there are great mainstream alternatives to Carter’s. Our report found that there is little transparency in the US apparel industry about what chemicals are being used; what the effects of those chemicals are on consumers, workers and communities; and what steps (if any) corporations are taking to ensure chemicals in their supply chains are handled appropriately.

With such little information being shared with consumers, it can feel overwhelming to find clothes that don’t expose children to chemicals that may have lasting, negative health implications. But, there are things you can do!

Attend or organize a clothing swap

Clothing swaps are a great way to bring communities and friends together. This is a particularly good option for children’s clothing! Kids are constantly growing out of clothing and establishing a network to exchange clothes, rather than buying new, is a great alternative for the planet, workers, and your children. Used clothing that has been washed several times is a good way to avoid contact with residual chemicals that can be found on new clothing.

Here are some tips to organize your own clothing swap.

Bonus: clothing swaps are also a great, sustainable way for adults to get ‘new’ clothing, without the added harm of buying brand new clothes.

Shop secondhand

When you shop secondhand, not only are you potentially saving money on new (to you!) clothes, secondhand clothes help keep clothes out of landfills longer and, again, are a good way to avoid contact with residual chemicals that can be found on new clothing. The apparel industry is a HUGE polluter – clothing manufacturing accounts for 20% of industrial water pollution! Buying second hand lowers the demand for new clothing and if enough people opt for used clothing, together we can start to lessen the negative impacts of the apparel industry.

Thred Up, Poshmark, and The Real Real all sell secondhand children’s clothing.

You can also check out this resource to see thrift stores near you!

Bonus: You can also sell your old clothing on these sites so someone else can get more use out of them, rather than having to buy new!

Buying new? Look for this

Sometimes, you just don’t have time to comb through the secondhand market to find what you need. Sometimes, there are things you would just prefer to buy new. We get it! If you can, try to shop at a green businesses.

Green America’s Green Business Network is a great place to start. By supporting green businesses, you are voting with your dollar for practices that are more sustainable, and showing conventional businesses that consumers care about how their clothes were made. Green Business Network members Maple Grace, daisyeye, Cat & Dogma, Hae Now, and Faerie’s Dance all have great options.

Sustainability certifications can also be a helpful guide to learn more about how your clothes were made.  Bluesign, Oeko-tex 100, and GOTS are all good certifications to look for on clothing to ensure that harmful chemicals aren’t present. There is also fair trade certified clothing, which helps to improve the working conditions either at the factory level (Fair Trade USA) or all their way down the supply chain to the cotton (Fairtrade America).

You can find Fairtrade America brands here.

Or

You can find Fair Trade USA brands here.

Remember: Research the big-name brands

Sometimes you’ll just need to buy something at the mall. Our scorecard can be a helpful resource to see what major apparel companies are doing and what questions you should be asking those companies not on covered by the scorecard.

Additionally, take a look at what sustainability initiatives that your favorite children’s brands have. But beware, companies are smooth talkers – look for clear, quantified impacts and metrics; often brands have one sustainable line of products rather than improving their entire supply chains – and know this is not enough; and compare policies with leaders in the field.

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This holiday season, we encourage you to reexamine what gifts you are giving and consider if it needs to be new or if it can be new to the recipient. At Green America, we will be looking to give gifts that have a positive impact on our planet and the people – and we invite you to join us in that effort! If enough of us change our spending habits, we can reform not just the apparel industry, but how all businesses operate.

Deciding what candy to give at Halloween can be a difficult choice. Do you want to be a Mounds person or an Almond Joy person? Do you want to give out raisins (hopefully not)? But if you decide on M&Ms or Butterfingers or even the cheerfully named Mr. Goodbar, you might be doing something pretty scary.

Those treats all come from major chocolate companies—Mars, Nestlé, and Hershey, respectively—that still have less than ideal protections in place to prevent child labor abuses in the countries they source cocoa from, according to a new audit from Green America, a nonprofit that focuses on encouraging environmentally friendly and socially just buying behaviors and business practices.

In time for Halloween, Green America released the 2019 Chocolate Scorecard, which grades companies based on publicly available information about three criteria: their fair labor certification practices, other community empowerment initiatives beyond basic certification, and their efforts to end deforestation. Mars and Nestlé received a “C+” while Hershey received a “C.” The only company to completely fail was Godiva.

Green America’s top scorers, meanwhile, are less recognizable brands, though you can still find them at most U.S. grocery stores: Alter Eco, Divine, Endangered Species, Equal Exchange, Shaman, Theo Chocolate, and Tony’s Chocolonely all earned an “A” grade.

As the Washington Post reported in June, America’s top chocolatiers have publicly pledged for decades that they’re working to stop child labor practices. Yet more than 2 million kids are estimated to be working in cocoa fields in West Africa. “We hope to put the scorecard out far enough in advance that consumers haven’t bought their Halloween candy yet,” says Charlotte Tate, the labor justice manager at Green America. “And then they can use of scorecards to purchase Halloween candy from more ethical brands.”

The group hopes that pressure may be enough to encourage more change at many of the still offending places: “It’ll start to show those brands that consumers do care and that may need to step up their efforts to address child labor and labor abuses and their supply chain,” Tate says.

Examples of basic fair labor certifications include Fair Trade International, Fair Trade USA, and Rainforest Alliance (which has merged with another organization called UTZ). Some companies like Mondelez and Lindt have developed their own criteria for self-certification but score lower because those processes are less clear-cut and independent. Beyond certification moves include efforts like Devine sharing ownership with farmer cooperatives in West Africa, so harvesters have a say in the practices they deploy. Top-scoring Alter Eco also doesn’t use palm oil in its products, a major contributor to deforestation, and invests in agroforestry practices to help maintain the environment where they’re planting.

Since 2015 Green America has traditionally ranked candy companies about twice annually, generally around our collective sweet tooth moments—the fall holiday seasons and in the spring, around Valentine or Easter. This year it added the environmental impact category, although it was done mostly to help consumers understand more about related troubling issues. It had a relatively small effect on overall scores. (In response to the scores, Hershey’s and Mondelez noted the work they’ve done on their own responsible sourcing initiatives. The other companies didn’t respond, but we will update this article if they do.)

“Within the cocoa industry there seems to be an intersection between labor abuses and environmental practices,” says Tate. “So, for example, within the Ivory Coast and Ghana, 90% of their forest has been lost to the cocoa industry.” A big reason is that cocoa trees need to be replanted over time, and that costs money, especially if you’re trying to replenish the nutrients in the surrounding soil. When farmers are paid too little, they can’t afford to do that. “So instead they expand into forest areas, which obviously causes deforestation,” she says.

Companies that have made long-term commitments to change business practices might still score low if they’ve yet to disclose progress toward those goals. “We’ve seen companies announce initiatives where they’re gearing a hundreds of millions of dollars toward the problem . . . [but] we need to see what the results of those initiatives are,” says Todd Larsen, the executive co-director for consumer and corporate engagement at Green America. “We have seen the large companies taking this issue a bit more seriously in the last couple of years, and I think part of that is the consumer awareness and attention.”

First came vegan milk: almond, soy, and most recently, oat milk, can be found in the dairy aisle right next to their conventional milk counterparts. Now, vegan “meats” are stepping in as the next big substitute and suddenly there is a plant-based burger buffet.

Beyond Meats and Impossible Foods are currently the two most famous plant-based meat companies. These two businesses are bringing vegan meat to the mainstream through restaurants, fast food chains, and grocery stores. What does their rise in popularity mean for farmers, the meat industry, and the planet?

Is meatless going mainstream?

While people who follow plant-based diets are still rather uncommon—less than half of one percent of Americans are strictly vegan—meat alternatives are making the diet more accessible. For example, Burger King and Impossible Foods released the Impossible Whopper earlier this year in 7,000 stores across the US. Beyond Meat products are available in grocery stores throughout the US and restaurants like TGIFridays and Dunkin’, according to their website. Gardein and Morningstar Farms have been providing microwave meatless products for several decades and are the most abundant alternatives in the frozen aisle.

Tyson Foods is the most recent corporation to jump on the meatless bandwagon. As the biggest meat producer in the US, Tyson is a recognizable brand in grocery stores and may shape up to be a stiff competitor. Whether their meatless alternatives are healthy and kind to the planet is yet to be decided, but their poor track record on labor and animal abuse speaks for itself. They will be releasing meatless products from pea protein and then reduced meat products with a blend of meat and pea protein.

While meatless diets are not mainstream, evidence points to reduced meat diets as increasing, with 30 to 50 percent of people interested in cutting down consumption. Whether or not more plant-based alternatives will increase the number of vegetarians and vegans in the US is yet to be determined.

How does plant-based meat affect farmers?

In February, the National Milk Producers Federation petitioned the FDA to label non-dairy products that call themselves dairy—such as almond milk—as “alternative,” “imitation,” and/or “substitute” dairy. Their petition is currently in review with 13,000 public comments. Likewise, the North American Meat Association wants lab-grown and plant-based alternatives to be labeled accordingly as well. While such competition comprises only 1 percent of the industry, meat farmers want to avoid the years-long mislabeling that is happening in the dairy industry.

That competition is expected to grow rapidly considering that industrial agriculture is consistently criticized for its disastrous environmental impacts on the climate, resource consumption, and waste problems. Numerous studies, from Project Drawdown to a new study from The Lancet British medical journal, demand a radical transformation of the world’s agriculture production and significantly reducing global consumption of meat; however, the conflict between animal meat and plant-based meat manages to tangle current sustainable transformations in the agriculture industry.

Regenerative farming is a farming method that promotes healthy soil to sequester carbon from the air back into the ground. This practice is meant to imitate natural processes of photosynthesis and has the potential to store 23.2 gigatons of carbon dioxide by 2050, according to Project Drawdown estimates. In Impossible Foods’ 2019 Impact Report, however, the meat alternative company called regenerative agriculture the “clean coal of meat.”

Will Harris of White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia, manages 2,500 acres of regenerative farmland. His farm operates as a carbon sink, producing a total net emissions of -3.5 kilograms of carbon for every kilogram of beef produced. In this Civil Eats article, Harris says that the production of the Impossible Burger follows the same troublesome patterns found in industrial agriculture; since Impossible Foods uses a monoculture GMO crop, it is just more of the same.

“White Oak Pastures will never be a multinational corporation,” Harris told Civil Eats. “There will never be a truly regenerative, humane, fair farm that will scale to a national level.”

Regardless, it seems unlikely that the meatless competition will push cattle ranchers out of business. The USDA predicts that in 2020, nearly 28 billion pounds of beef will be produced in the US. Additionally, Americans get 97 percent of its beef from feedlots, not regenerative farms or alternative meat ventures.

Is plant-based meat good for the planet?

Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger uses 99 percent less water, 93 percent less land, generated 90 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and requires 46 percent less energy than a beef burger, according to their website. Impossible Foods’ Impossible Burger uses 87 percent less water, 96 percent less land, 89 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and 92 percent less dead-zone creating nutrient pollution than ground beef from cows, according to their website.

The prevailing criticism notes that both companies rely on established industrial agriculture norms to produce their key ingredients: pea protein for the Beyond Burger and GMO soy for the Impossible Burger. While Impossible Foods appears to be transparent with how they use GMOs, the problem with GMOs is how they’re produced. Perhaps Impossible Foods uproots less soy than conventional farming methods, but genetically-modified soy is notoriously harmful for the amount of pesticides used that damage the soil and leach into waterways.

Plant-based meats aren’t going away anytime soon. With successful launches like KFC’s test of plant-based nuggets in Atlanta selling out within hours, the demand for alternative meats is surging. The future of the meat industry is diversifying, and it will take all fronts—regenerative agriculture, plant-based alternatives, and likely more—to supply the world population with protein in the wake of the climate crisis. But have no doubt, plant-based burgers are just a piece of what is to come.

Scares are expected during the Halloween season, but your candy shouldn’t be one of the sources of them. Unfortunately, there are some pretty horrifying practices that go on in the making of some of the most popular mass market candies – especially chocolate. 

If you’re already a person who avoids dairy for ethical reasons, be it the grotesque treatment of cows or the environmental impact of dairy production, you’re probably already steering clear of some of the most popular mass-market chocolate. But dairy isn’t the only devil when it comes to Halloween candy. The horrific human rights abuses and environmental issues in the production of chocolate are well-known and well-documented.

In West Africa, where 70% of the world’s cocoa comes from, the industry is notorious for relying on child labor. Children – many of whom are trafficked onto cocoa farms and forced into unpaid slave labor – are made to engage in dangerous labor practices such as slicing cocoa bean pods open using machetes and their bare hands, carry sacks of cocoa weighing 100 pounds or more, and spray toxic agricultural pesticides. In addition to the dangerous work itself, the children are often beaten, fed only the cheapest foods, and deprived of an education. The biggest chocolate brands in the world, including Mars, Nestlé, and Hershey, source their chocolate from this region. These practices are, by and large, in violation of international law and UN conventions, but little has been done to enforce these international treaties and curb the worst practices.

Cocoa farming is also a major cause of deforestation, particularly in Côte d'Ivoire, as farmers race to keep up with global demand. Much of the environmental impact of chocolate also comes from other ingredients in chocolate products, such as sugar, dairy, and palm oil. These industries are also notorious for their greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on deforestation.

Fortunately, it doesn’t seem as though consumers concerned with human rights and environmental issues need to avoid chocolate altogether. There are a number of companies focused on making treats with the most ethically sourced ingredients possible. 

The nonprofit organization Green America gave letter grades to several chocolate companies earlier this year, based on their efforts to avoid labor abuses and negative environmental impact. It’s worth noting the worst – Godiva received an F, Mondelez and Ferrero received Ds – as well as the best. Alter Eco avoids palm oil altogether and participates in reforestation, among other pro-environmental and human rights practices. They produce numerous truffles, bars, and other items that are vegan, as well. Divine, Endangered Species, Equal Exchange, Shaman, Theo, and Tony’s Chocolonely, which all received As from Green America, also produce ample dark chocolate confections that are free of animal products. 

Another brand worth celebrating is Pacari, which sources its all-organic cocoa from Ecuador and happens not to use dairy in any of their products. What they do offer, however, are chocolate bars flavored with interesting ingredients like ginger, lemon, orange, rose, and more, in addition to standard blends. 

It’s not easy to find chocolatiers that take all the ethical implications of chocolate into consideration, even in the vegan sphere, where sometimes the animal rights issue is addressed while human rights are largely ignored. But not always. Lagusta’s Luscious in New Paltz, NY, is the world’s first all-vegan chocolate shop. The owner, Lagusta Yearwood, works to ensure that all products used are ones she can ethically stand behind, down to the packaging. 

So when you’re shopping for chocolate goodies to pass out to trick-or-treaters, consider that it’s worth shelling out a little extra to ensure that there’s nothing horrifying about your treats. The good news is that you can have your chocolate and eat it, too – while considering the interests of kids and cows around the world.

Walk, Bike, or Take Public Transport

You can significantly reduce your carbon footprint by walking, biking and taking public transportation whenever possible. For those times when you’re going short distances but need an extra hand for groceries and the like, consider getting a set of panniers, a basket, or a cargo-hauler attachment from Xtracycle, which can turn your bike into an “SUB” (sport utility bicycle)

Biking in itself has the potential to reduce carbon emissions from urban transportation by up to 11 percent, according to a study done by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and has been found by scientists to be more energy efficient than walking and running. Better World Club provides eco-friendly insurance and roadside assistance for bicycles, and advocates for causes including bike lanes.

For longer distances, check out routes on your local transit system and Google Maps, which can help you plan your trip down to the minute.

Consider an Electric or Hybrid Car

Even when plugged into the current coal-riddled power grid in the US, electric vehicles (EV) cut down on climate emissions over gas-powered cars by 54 percent, according to a 2015 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Plug-in electric hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) have many of the climate benefits of EVs, but they can also run on combustion engines, which gives them the range of conventional cars. While a regular hybrid car won’t get the miles per gallon equivalent that an EV or PHEV does, it will still curb your emissions considerably over a gas-powered car. Save money by taking advantage of federal tax incentives on certain EV, PHEV and hybrid cars at fueleconomy.gov/feg/taxcenter.shtml.

Alternative fuels are also an option. Biodiesel or renewable diesel made from used vegetable oil collected from restaurants make any diesel vehicle low-emission.

FIND THE RIGHT EV

In the market for an electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)? Use the PlugStar Virtual Assistant to find one to meet your needs. First, you can customize searches for electric cars and dealers according to location, budget, and preferred vehicle type (i.e. sedan or SUV). Then, the Virtual Assistant asks you questions about your driving habits to figure out whether an EV or PHEV would work best for you. For a person living in Green Bay, WI, who drives ten miles to work, uses the car to run errands and take 3-4 long trips per year, and is able to make a car payment between $200-$300/month, PlugStar recommended a PHEV like the Chevolet Volt, the Nissan Leaf, or the Toyota Prius Prime.

Share a Ride

Instead of buying a car, find local sharing programs—where you sign up to check out a car, truck, van, or SUV from a pool of vehicles only when you need it—at CarSharing, ZipCar, and Enterprise Car Share.

More people who share a car instead of driving solo means fewer global warming emissions. If you’d like to share a ride for a one-time event (like a concert) or on the regular basis (like to work), find other carpoolers at Zimride or Erideshare.com. Carpool To School enables safe carpool, walkpool or bikepool for students to school.

If you prefer an app, try Waze Carpool for iPhone and Android, which connect you with drivers and riders headed in your direction for carpooling and cost-sharing.

Green Transportation Trends

These new modes of cleaner transport could soon be coming to your community:

Electric Scooter Rental: Electric scooters don’t generate carbon emissions while they run, and using them for short trips helps reduce the number of cars on the road (though riders need to remember to follow traffic laws to avoid creating a different kind of menace!). In March 2018, the start-up electric scooter company Bird announced plans to launch its scooter rental outlets in 50 cities in the US and abroad. The idea behind Bird is simple: using a mobile app, customers can locate a nearby electric scooter to rent for 15 to 20 cents per minute. So far, Bird has debuted in 39 US cities in 18 states and the District of Columbia, as well as Tel Aviv and Paris. Bird’s competitor, LimeBike, offers a similar service, providing e-scooters and e-bikes in 80 US cities, 25 US college campuses, and six EU cities.

Boring Trains: Elon Musk’s Boring company continues targeting major US cities for new projects. In July, the company got the green light from Chicago officials to develop the Chicago Express Loop—an underground electric transit system using electromagnetic pods—which will connect users from O’Hare National Airport to downtown Chicago. The company is planning a similar system from East Hollywood to L.A.’s Dodger Stadium called the Dugout Loop, slated for 2020. And both the Maryland and DC governments have approved preliminary site exploration and conditional excavation for the company’s ambitious DC Hyperloop, which would take customers from DC to New York City in 29 minutes, with stops in Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Cleaner Airplanes: In 2016, the Solar Impulse Foundation sent a solar airplane around the world, proving that solar-powered air travel is indeed possible. For now, experts agree that solar modules need become be just as powerful as traditional jet fuel before solar planes can move beyond an exploratory phase. In 2016, Vox.com reported on other innovations in the works like carbon markets, in which airlines that go over a federal carbon cap would invest in reductions in CO2 emissions in other places. If biofuels made from rapidly renewable feedstocks like algae prove to be plentiful and affordable, they could also serve as green alternatives to jet fuel in the future.

First Steps

Never thought about energy efficiency before? Start here to make some easy changes.

• Wash your clothes in cold water: Wash cold whenever you can, and always use cold for the rinse cycle. The EPA’s ENERGY STAR program says water heating is the cause of about 90 percent of the energy it takes to operate a clothes washer, which is one of the most energy-intensive appliances in your home.
• Avoid peak hours: Use energy-intensive appliances including your washer, dryer, and dishwasher in the evenings or early mornings. It’s our country’s peak demand—generally from 12 a.m.-6 p.m.—that determines expansion of dirty coal-fired power plants.
• Keep your fridge full: If you have empty space in your fridge, fill it with jugs containing tap water. This tip makes your fridge run more efficiently. Water holds the cold better than air, so when you open and shut the fridge door, letting warm air in, your fridge will do less work to cool down again, which saves energy.
• Ditch your dryer: Get a clothesline or drying rack to hang your laundry. While wind and sun will dry your clothes faster than indoor air, keep your rack indoors if you’re allergic to pollen.
• Eliminate energy vampires: Some devices use energy even when they’re not operating, especially if they have a small light on nearly all the time (think a TV that has a standby light, or a microwave with a clock). You can use an inexpensive Kill-A-Watt meter to measure the “phantom” power your electronics leak while plugged in and switched off. Plug your devices into a power strip to easily switch them all the way off when you’re not using them.
• Replace your light bulbs: Next time a light goes out in your house, replace the bulb with a more efficient one. LED is the most efficient, followed by CFL, then incandescent. There are plenty of LED lights these days with different brightnesses and colors, if you’re sensitive to fluorescents’ harsh lighting.

Next Steps

Already spent some time working on your energy-efficient habits? It’s time to try some new ones!

• Teach your thermostat: Set the timer on your thermostat to warm or cool the house as you’re coming home from work or school, instead of heating or cooling at your preferred max setting when you’re not home. If your thermostat doesn’t include a timer, consider installing one that does.
• Look at your windows: Windows can be a big source of wasted heating or cooling energy. If they have cracks, are sticking, don’t close fully, or have years of deferred maintenance, it’s time to give them some love. In many cases, you can do targeted repairs, install weather-stripping, and add a storm window to avoid the cost of a full replacement.
• Get an energy audit: Get expert advice to help you identify ways you can use less electricity and plug energy leaks in your home. You’ll get the most cost-effective and useful steps that will help you reduce your energy use, lower your home’s global warming footprint, and lower your energy bills, too. Your local utility will likely provide an energy audit for free, but you may get a more comprehensive audit—allowing you to save even more money in the long run—by paying for a whole-house energy audit through Home Performance with ENERGY STAR.
• Switch to green utilities: Unless you know that your home electricity use is powered with clean energy, you probably get your energy from dirty sources like coal. Make the switch to green energy. With companies like Clean Choice Energy or Arcadia Power, —it doesn’t require a home visit or any wiring changes to easily direct your energy bills to support green power generation

Giant Steps

Friends come to you for advice on green matters, and you’re okay with spending a little extra to get the best in efficiency. So try out these big steps to save energy and money.

• Install water-saving and efficient appliances: Install low-flow faucets and showerheads. When your appliances fail, replace them with ENERGY STAR-rated models, and consider updating your fridge sooner if it was originally purchased before 1993 (when standards were considerably more lax for fridge efficiency).
• Prioritize insulation: Heating and cooling uses so much energy, and insulation helps conserve some of that energy. Insulate your pipes, water heater, and walls to get the most out of the money you spend heating/cooling your home.
• Harness the sun: Solar is getting cheaper every year. You can lease many rooftop solar systems, which means a company installs it, and you don’t have to pay for it outright; you pay for it via your electricity bill—which should be even cheaper monthly than it was before the installation. You can also install a solar water heater, which can save you money even if you live in a cloudy place. Find out if your house is right for rooftop solar at Project Sunroof. Many states now allow community solar projects, where panels in a concentrated location generate electricity for an entire neighborhood—no rooftop panels required!

WASHINGTON, D.C. – OCTOBER 16, 2019 – Dozens of farmers and food companies, including Anheuser-Busch, MegaFood, Rick Clark (partnered with Danone North America) and Leah Penniman, are being recognized by national nonprofit Green America in honor of World Food Day. Soil SuperHeroes are working to provide major solutions to the climate crisis by employing regenerative soil stewardship practices that build soil health and resiliency. These farmers and forward-thinking food companies are assessing the impacts of agriculture and implementing best practices to protect soil and human health.

“We need to immediately address the climate crisis we are facing, and these farmers and food companies are doing just that by regenerating our soils for the betterment of our bodies and planet and they should be celebrated,” Jillian Semaan, Food Campaigns Director at Green America.

Soil SuperHeroes are farmers and food companies that are committed to saving our soils and mitigating the climate crisis, through a variety of regenerative practices including:

• Anheuser-Busch: Its Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold is the first national beer brand in the U.S. to be certified organic. Anheuser-Busch is helping farmers through the three-year transition period to organic by providing long-term contracts and paying premium prices for transitional and organic crops.
• Rick Clark and Danone North America: In 2016, Danone North America announced they would transition their products to non-GMO verified knowing that had to rely on farmers to provide the non-GMO feed for the dairy cows that produce milk for its yogurt. One of those farmers, a Soil SuperHero, is Indiana farmer Rick Clark who offers practical examples for how soil health can transform agriculture.
• MegaFood: One of the only farm-to-table natural vitamin companies that has a direct relationship with their farmers, MegaFood supports its organic and regenerative farmers and provides a guaranteed market for their regeneratively-grown produce.
• Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm: Leah has cultivated five acres of land using organic and ancestral practices that increase topsoil depth, sequester carbon, and improve soil biodiversity all while fighting the injustices of our food system.

Soil SuperHeroes are following the best practices to shift agriculture from a major cause of climate change to a solution to the climate crisis by building soils to be resilient. Healthy soil is a building block for everything that happens on Earth, from shaping our ecosystems, to mitigating the effects of climate change, to producing 99% of the food that we all eat.  Healthy soil is necessary to fuel ourselves with food rich in vitamins and minerals. And healthy soil can actually reverse climate change.

“As our soil, food, and climate changes for the worse overall, it’s vital that we celebrate those leading the charge towards a more sustainable and delicious future,” Jessica Hulse Dillon, Director of the Regenerative Supply Working Group at Green America’s Center for Sustainability Solutions. “Please join us in celebrating and supporting the farmers and forward-thinking companies that are working to save our soils and our planet.”

ABOUT GREEN AMERICA

Green America is the nation’s leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America provides the economic strategies, organizing power, and practical tools for consumers, businesses and investors to solve today’s social and environmental problems. Green America’s Center for Sustainability Solutions brings together diverse groups of stakeholders to solve the complex sustainability problems that no individual business, organization, or leader can solve alone. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Max Karlin, (703) 276-3255 or mkarlin@hastingsgroup.com. 

Green America sat down with Debby Ward to discuss best practices for building a dream vegetable garden from scratch. Debby is the Founder & Owner of Prior Unity Garden, which has been helping people make their organic garden dreams come true through online and in-person courses since 2009.

There is something rewarding and comforting about growing vegetables, but many people feel unsure on how to start, confused about all the information out there, frustrated with their own lack of focus, overwhelmed by the commitment, concerned they are not on track, or simply not sure how to do it.

I was one of the lucky ones, crawling around my parents’ garden and learning lessons at a young age. In my passion to help folks grow organic food, I’ve drawn on my over 40 years of experience. I have tested these steps in real-time, teaching others, and learning what works. From this, I have honed starting a vegetable garden to five basic steps:

Step 1: Solidify Your Garden Goals

Each of us has our own vegetable garden dream or vision, and this is where to start your garden journey.

• Take time to draw or write about your dream garden. Consider your garden goals: growing great tomatoes to save money on groceries, getting your kids outside to grow food, or creating a habitat for pollinators.
• Make a list of what you want to grow based on what you like to eat. Start simple, with the “must-haves,” just like you would if you were trying to find a new car or place to live.

Step 2: Observe & Assess Your Property

Observation is an important step before breaking ground and will ensure greater success down the line. Spend some time observing the sun path on your property; look for sun and shade during different times of day as the light changes, keeping in mind that many plants need at least six hours direct sun each day. Go out after a heavy rain and see where the water goes, considering many veggies are thirsty and can suffer without good drainage. Observe critters, including those that want to eat your garden, like deer, and garden helpers, like bees.

It’s also important to assess your time and availability during this step. A realistic assessment of your time points you to the best size garden for you. A container garden is best for those with just a few minutes. For those with two to three hours a week, a small raised bed might be the option. Watch out though, gardening is a happy addiction!

Step 3: Build Healthy Living Soil

Poor soil is the number one reason I see gardens fail. Soil is the foundation of your garden. It’s not just the medium that holds your crops in place, it feeds the veggies that ultimately nourish you.

For a raised bed or in-ground garden, don’t just dump organic compost on the ground. Use a garden fork to loosen this subsoil, then add the soil builders in layers—first a couple inches of organic compost, then a layer of newspaper or cardboard, then four to six inches of organic compost, and then mulch. This approach builds soil over time, as the materials decompose to feed and protect the underground microorganisms that make soil healthy.

Wondering about the health of your soil? Read more here.

Step 4: Choose Plants & Seeds

There are pros and cons to consider when choosing between seeds and transplants for your garden. Transplants can be quicker because they’re already several weeks old by the time you plant them, but they are also more expensive. Starting from seed saves you money and offers more diversity. Some crops—like root vegetables and plants that germinate quickly—must be grown from seed because of their delicate roots that will not tolerate transplanting (seed packets have this information).

For both seeds and transplants, source is incredibly important. Choose companies that are committed to non-GMO, chemical-free, organic, sustainable, and/or responsible growing.

In fact, sourcing is so important that I review many seed companies on my site. You can also find good seed brands from Green Business Network members like the Turtle Creek Biodynamic Seed Initiative and others at GreenPages.org.

Step 5: Plan Your Garden Layout & Planting

You don’t have to be an artist to draw a simple layout of your garden. Consider these points when deciding where to put plants in your garden layout:

• If you’re short on space, consider growing “up” with plants that climb trellises and have a small garden footprint to allow you to grow more in the same square footage.
• How much space, sun, or shade does each variety need to thrive? Seed catalogs and packets will have this information.
• Companion planting can be a boon for your garden, because choosing combinations of plants that support one another can reduce work for you as a gardener. For example, nasturtiums, marigolds, and fragrant herbs can repel pests from tomatoes and cucumbers. Corn makes a great trellis for climbing plants, and thick crops like peas and beans can shade out weeds while adding important nitrogen to the soil.

Then, plant! And, enjoy the experiment. Make note of what did and didn’t work for next season.

There are lots of great gardening resources out there to help you on your journey, like Debby’s online classes at PriorUnityGarden.com and Green America’s Climate Victory Gardens Toolkit at: greenamerica.org/CVGtoolkit.

Whether you had childhood dreams of being a farmer, are sick of the produce section, or simply want to challenge yourself, get started with your vegetable garden today!

Corporate agriculture is driving the climate crisis and flooding the market with processed foods that are making us sick. Instead, opt for regenerative, organic, and local foods to protect the planet and your health.

A good place to find these foods? Your local farmers market, which is also a great place to meet the people who grew your food and learn about farming. Start a conversation to learn more about how your food is grown and support farmers who grow in a way that matches your values.

What to ask: Did you grow this food? If not, who did?

What to listen for/inquire more about: For many small producers, the person selling food at the market is also involved with growing it. If not, ask about the people who did. Are they provided with the resources and support for a healthy work environment that produces healthy foods? Are they protected from pesticides? Do they work reasonable hours with equitable pay?

What to ask: What farming practices do you use?

What to listen for/inquire more about: Regenerative farming uses practices that protect the soil like: reduced tilling, cover cropping, rotating crops, composting, not using synthetic chemicals, growing perennial and diverse crops, and introducing trees and animals into agricultural systems. Integrated pest management is also something to look for. Your farmer may use organic or biodynamic methods and— even if they’re not certified—a good indicator that they may be on the path to regenerative farming.

What to ask: How do you know your farm soil is healthy?

What to listen for/inquire more about: If your farmer didn’t talk much about soil when describing their farming practices, you may want to consider asking specifically about soil health and regenerative agriculture. Soil must be protected and fed organic matter in order to produce nutritious crops. Listen for environmental indicators. Healthy soil is often dark and rich in humus—the nutrient-dense, organic matter that helps the soil clump together and stay put on fields. Soil erosion and runoff shouldn’t be an issue. Biodiversity should be well represented in the soil, fields, and area around the farm. Plants should grow vigorously without chemical fertilizers. Compost and animal manures are good, as are commitments to protect bees and butterflies.

What to ask: Where do you get your seeds?

What to listen for/inquire more about: Maybe your farmer saves their own seeds. Or, maybe they’re certified organic or biodynamic. Maybe the seeds they use are heirloom varieties or open sourced seeds. Be sure to ask whether a farmer uses genetically modified seeds.

What to ask: If you’re buying meat, eggs, or cheese: How were these animals treated and what is their impact on the land?

What to listen for/inquire more about: Listen for scenarios that mimic the animal’s natural habitat and habits. Do the animals spend time outdoors? If so, how much? Are they isolated or living communally? Are they integrated into parts of the farm or ranch with trees or other crops? The most advanced regenerative ranchers use mobile fences to graze their animals in high densities for short periods of time—modeled after the constantly moving herds of wild herbivores that once grazed the prairies. This brings nutrients to the land and allows diverse grasses to grow.

What to ask: Where is your farm? Can I visit?

What to listen for/inquire more about: Farmers markets are great, because they help you buy food grown close to home. This helps reduce the distance your food has traveled, meaning less impact on the environment and fresher foods for you. If your market is close to home, ask your farmers about farm visits, volunteer opportunities, or tours. Not all small producers can offer these options, but they can be a good indicator of practices, encourage transparency, and get you even closer to the source of your food.

“Any crop which nourishes mankind and/or the soil is the best crop to grow in regenerative organic farming. However, an organic monoculture is not sustainable. We must mimic the diversity we see in nature with extensive rotations on the farm in order for the organic system to be sustainable as well as renewable.”
—Bob Quinn, regenerative organic farmer, author of Grain by Grain, and President and Founder of Kamut International (pictured above)

Being an eco-warrior is as much about education as it is action. Learn about farming online and in-person to understand the importance of sustainable agriculture and where your food comes from!

In December 2018, Green America’s membership, marketing, and operations director Dana Christianson welcomed her first child, Eustace, to the world. Naturally, she had put together a baby registry out of products that came from Green Business Network members. Now that she’s tried the products for herself, here’s her favorite mama must-haves, whether you're a new parents yourself or are looking for green gift ideas for new moms. She suggests online baby registries like Babylist so you don’t have to register at a big box store to make your registry accessible for your friends and family. Instead, you can link to businesses that share your values like and have the green, non-toxic products you want!

Traditional Medicinals, has lots of tasty teas and Mother’s Milk Tea ($5.29) is one especially made to promote lactation. As a first-time mom I was happy to find this had great reviews.

If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. These simple Nursing Pads ($4.50/pair) from Decent Exposure are six layers of 100 percent cotton and are soft and absorbent.

Is there anything cuter than a beach baby?
This bright Swim Diaper ($15.75) from Thirsties comes in five adorable prints and is “trimmed up” to meet requirements of public pools (that means worry free!).

This bassinet and stand is absolutely dreamy, isn’t it? The stand ($159.90) is from Baby Eco Trends made of solid wood and built in the US. It’s built to pair with the Moses Basket from Plum & Sparrow.

It feels natural to be careful with what’s going into baby’s mouth. The Baby Buddy Teething Toy ($26 for two) is made of GOTS-certified organic cotton and fair trade certified. It’s also free from AZO colorants, BPA, flame retardants, formaldehyde, fragrance, PVC, and lead (phew!) from Under the Nile.

Some gifts are less glamorous than others...but you know this will get used. Earth Mama Organics’ Organic Nipple Butter ($12.99) is lanolin-, petroleum-, and paraben-free, and non-GMO certified, which is important, since the baby might end up eating a bit of it. It’s also so soothing, of course.

It’s never too early to start kids caring about the Earth and the people on it. Fair Trade Winds sells A is for Activist ($10) to teach kids about environmental justice and human rights—oh, and the alphabet.

Cloth diapers can be a big investment but this one is amazing because GroVia O.N.E. ($22.95 each with a discount for multiple purchases), grow with your baby. Cloth diapers can save money in the long run because these fit from birth through potty training. The Green Nursery thought of everything, like hook and loop closure and a snap closure.

Whether you're a new parent or on your way to a baby shower, the best gift ideas for new moms are green! Shop these products and more at GreenPages.org.

Major chocolate companies such as Godiva, Lindt and Hershey are failing to make sure their suppliers don’t use children as workers, according to a new ranking by activists released last week.

Godiva was rated the worst, followed by Ferrero and Mondalez on a scorecard of efforts to reduce child labor and deforestation published by the activist group Green America.

Mars and Nestle were rated slightly better than Lindt and Hershey, while seven smaller companies received the best grade, including Alter Eco, Divine and Tony’s Chocolonely.

Most of the world’s cocoa is grown by poor family farmers in the West African countries of Ghana and Ivory Coast, where an estimated 1.6 million children work in the industry.

While companies are making efforts to fix the problem, Green America said it is too early to see results for some, while others received low grades for not revealing all of their suppliers.

“This Halloween and every day, children should be able to enjoy candies that aren’t made by child laborers,” said Charlotte Tate, Green America’s labor justice manager.

“Big brands must do more to tackle these issues, and buying ethically sourced chocolate is one way for consumers to put pressure on brands to change their practices,” she said.

Godiva, which received the worst ranking, said it purchases cocoa through third parties, which put it at a scoring disadvantage.

“We ensure ethical sourcing through agreements with our suppliers to comply with our Godiva Code of Conduct, which explicitly prohibits the use of forced and child labor,” a company spokeswoman said in an email.

Other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Most major chocolate companies are working to increase the percentage of their cocoa that is certified as ethical by groups such as Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance, or through their own certification programs.

Many have the goal of sourcing 100 percent certified cocoa by 2020.

But Green America said buying certified cocoa is not enough. It said there are related issues such as whether companies had initiatives to support communities and raise farmers’ pay.

Most cocoa farming families live below the World Bank’s poverty line of $2 a day. The poverty encourages child labor, according to the charity International Cocoa Initiative (ICI).

Ghana and Ivory Coast on Thursday said that cocoa companies were too focused on their own sustainability plans instead of a payment plan to help farmers.

“The two countries [are] therefore re-examining all sustainability and certification programs for the 2019/20 season,” they said in a joint statement.

Sweat Stylishly

Exercise isn’t part of everyone’s daily routine, but men and women who do try to fit in a workout can find casual 100 percent organic T-shirts at Natural Clothing Company for $19.

You can find a similar t-shirt style at EConscious for $18.

Blue Canoe also offers a variety of camisoles and tanks made from a mixture of organic cotton, rayon, and spandex.

Work-Wear

The elegant Natalay Wrap Dress from Ash & Rose ($69) is made with cotton rescued from factory waste and crafted by fair-trade partners in Cambodia.

Folks looking for pieces that can be dressed up or down may be drawn to the Sheng Trousers ($64) which are made from 97 percent organic cotton and 3 percent spandex twill.

Anna Herman’s also offers a variety of clean-cut hemp shirts for men for $49. For pants, Anna Herman's offers men’s Wool Check Pants for $89.

Happy Hour

Ooloop’s Cleo Skirt ($78) is a classic red mini made with organic cotton and a spry statement piece for an outing to your favorite happy hour spot or night club.

Ooloop also has crisp light blue Nacka Chino shorts ($63) which are made with soft organic cotton.

Green and Cozy

Men and women can find comfy loungewear at Natural Clothing Company’s online store. Options include the Organic Crew Undershirt ($27) for men, which is made in the US of 100 percent unbleached organic cotton.

The company also sells women’s robes made with 95 percent viscose bamboo and five percent spandex ($46).

The next time you add to your closet, explore sustainable clothing options or better yet, buy secondhand!

At Pekin Hardy, based in Chicago, Illinois, we’ve been helping our clients navigate the challenges of the market and their own financial lives for almost three decades. Our years of experience in wealth management have taught us to be prudent value investors in the style of Warren Buffett and to do our own independent research on potential investment opportunities. We have also learned that every client is unique, so we can provide personalized services to those who work with us to achieve their financial goals.

As a fiduciary and fee-only adviser, we put our clients first, and we are committed to providing our clients with independent financial advice. Pekin Hardy is a certified B Corporation, which means that we are committed to meeting the highest standards of impact investing, social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability.

Chocolate is already known as a guilty pleasure, but a new report might leave you feeling legitimately guilty about the path cocoa takes to reach some of your favorite sweets. Green America—a non-profit dedicated to creating "a socially just and environmentally sustainable society"—recently released its "Chocolate Scorecard" for 2019, looking at child labor, deforestation, and farmer poverty in the chocolate industry. And the world's largest brands landed some of the worst grades.

Godiva was the only brand to score an "F," but Mondelez and Ferrero weren't far behind: Both brands were graded "D." Lindt and Hershey were also flagged with a "C," while Mars and Nestle performed the best out of the big names, but only by both scoring a "C+." Finishing off the list from the bottom up, Guittard got a "B+," while Alter Eco, Divine, Endangered Species, Equal Exchange, Shaman, Theo Chocolate, and Tony's Chocolonely all scored an "A."

So how were the scores determined? "Chocolate bars with an 'A' rating are addressing farmer income and child labor issues, and are organic and/or non-GMO certified," Green America writes. Beyond that, the group states, "We are not only looking at how much certified cocoa a major chocolate company has, we are also looking to see if the company has innovative programs and projects in place to address some of the other underlying issues of child labor in cocoa and if the company is working to address deforestation."

"When bombarded with endless choices, it can be difficult to know which chocolate brands are having a positive impact on the world," Todd Larsen, executive co-director of Consumer and Corporate Engagement at Green America, said in announcing the results. "The aim of Green America's scorecard is to help consumers feel confident about choosing chocolates that are ethically sourced with high-quality ingredients."

Importantly, however, the scorecard itself does highlight certain symbols consumers can look for. Green America highlights five certification programs: Fairtrade, Fair Trade Certified, IMO Fair For Life, Rainforest Alliance, and UTZ all prohibit companies from using forced labor and child labor to bear their seal. And these programs are separate from companies' own programs which "can vary in practice in regards to how comprehensive and impactful they are," Green America writes.

In the end, the organization made it very clear what they want the takeaway from the scorecard to be: "Big brands must do more to tackle these issues and buying ethically sourced chocolate is one way for consumers to put pressure on brands to change their practices," stated Charlotte Tate, labor justice manager at Green America.

At the same time, you probably shouldn't simply take a letter grade's word for it: Thankfully, Green America also provides a more in-depth analysis of how the largest seven brands can improve on their website.

Chocolate is already known as a guilty pleasure, but a new report might leave you feeling legitimately guilty about the path cocoa takes to reach some of your favorite sweets. Green America—a non-profit dedicated to creating "a socially just and environmentally sustainable society"—recently released its "Chocolate Scorecard" for 2019, looking at child labor, deforestation, and farmer poverty in the chocolate industry. And the world's largest brands landed some of the worst grades.

Godiva was the only brand to score an "F," but Mondelez and Ferrero weren't far behind: Both brands were graded "D." Lindt and Hershey were also flagged with a "C," while Mars and Nestle performed the best out of the big names, but only by both scoring a "C+." Finishing off the list from the bottom up, Guittard got a "B+," while Alter Eco, Divine, Endangered Species, Equal Exchange, Shaman, Theo Chocolate, and Tony's Chocolonely all scored an "A."

So how were the scores determined? "Chocolate bars with an 'A' rating are addressing farmer income and child labor issues, and are organic and/or non-GMO certified," Green America writes. Beyond that, the group states, "We are not only looking at how much certified cocoa a major chocolate company has, we are also looking to see if the company has innovative programs and projects in place to address some of the other underlying issues of child labor in cocoa and if the company is working to address deforestation."

"When bombarded with endless choices, it can be difficult to know which chocolate brands are having a positive impact on the world," Todd Larsen, executive co-director of Consumer and Corporate Engagement at Green America, said in announcing the results. "The aim of Green America's scorecard is to help consumers feel confident about choosing chocolates that are ethically sourced with high-quality ingredients."

Importantly, however, the scorecard itself does highlight certain symbols consumers can look for. Green America highlights five certification programs: Fairtrade, Fair Trade Certified, IMO Fair For Life, Rainforest Alliance, and UTZ all prohibit companies from using forced labor and child labor to bear their seal. And these programs are separate from companies' own programs which "can vary in practice in regards to how comprehensive and impactful they are," Green America writes.

In the end, the organization made it very clear what they want the takeaway from the scorecard to be: "Big brands must do more to tackle these issues and buying ethically sourced chocolate is one way for consumers to put pressure on brands to change their practices," stated Charlotte Tate, labor justice manager at Green America.

At the same time, you probably shouldn't simply take a letter grade's word for it: Thankfully, Green America also provides a more in-depth analysis of how the largest seven brands can improve on their website.

The European Union and other countries have banned over 1,600 chemicals from use in cosmetics. The US has banned 9. EU laws require that manufacturers prove chemicals are safe before they can be used in a product. In the US, chemicals are not always banned even if they potentially cause cancer; contain neuro- and immunotoxins; or contain hormone disruptors that could cause birth defects.

Cosmetics are very loosely defined by the FDA; the term encompasses perfume, moisturizer, makeup, nail polish, shampoo, hair dyes, toothpaste, and deodorant. Though the manufacturer is legally required to ensure the safety of a product, companies’ standards for safety may be quite different than what a customer might think—because many products still contain toxic substances like lead and formaldehyde.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), women are exposed to 168 chemicals every day through cosmetics and personal care products, and those chemicals might be different each day, if you use multiple soaps or makeup items, for example. Men are exposed to 85 chemicals per day.

In its Skin Deep database, EWG clearly states that: “personal care products contain carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors, plasticizers, degreasers, and surfactants. They are the chemical industry in a bottle.”

Knowing that anything could be in your makeup drawer or bathroom counter is disturbing. Just because you’ve heard of an ingredient doesn’t make it safe. Baby powder, which often contains the carcinogenic mineral talc (you can buy a version that uses cornstarch), is the cause of 14,000 lawsuits adding up to an estimated $4 billion in fines against Johnson & Johnson for using the mineral in its products.

Unfortunately, vigilance is the only way to avoid toxic materials in your routine. In the Skin Deep database, you can search for cosmetics by name to see a list of ingredients and the toxicity of each, on a scale of one to ten. As of printing, the database includes 87,874 products. Head to EWG.org/skindeep to search your favorite products in the database.

I SMELL AN ISSUE

Scents are often a component of cosmetic products and are often included in menstrual products as well. Scent chemicals are called “fragrance” on an ingredients list, but that word can contain undisclosed chemicals of unknown toxicity and may contain allergens or chemicals linked to ailments such as allergic rash, endocrine disruption, and cancer, according to Women’s Voices for the Earth’s Chem Fatale Report.

MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS

If you use pads or tampons, you’ve probably seen commercials for all-natural organic versions. Gynecologists have tried to debunk these concerns (the chemicals involved in tampon production are trace), as a marketing ploy from companies that are greenwashing the products they sell.

Unfortunately, there are still causes for concern: namely products’ scents and plastic components. Pads and tampon applicators are made up of mostly plastic. Chemicals that may compose any given plastic, like BPA, BPS, phthalates, and DEHP, have been linked to reproductive system and liver damage. Organic cotton tampons are still better than conventional ones because of the benefits of growing cotton organically.

Luckily, there are options. Lunapads m sells washable cotton fabric pads, including the “Performa Super” pad, which can absorb the equivalent of four pads or tampons, according to the company. Lunapads also sells the DivaCup, which is a reusable menstrual cup that can be worn inside the body to replace tampons. They’re made from silicone, which unlike plastic, does not leach chemicals even when brought to a high temperature (such as boiling the product for cleaning), and resists the aging process of oxidative deterioration.

Choosing a reusable option, whether pad or cup, can save money on menstrual supplies. One cup costs $10-$40 and can last for years, compared to $7-$10 for a box of tampons or pack of pads which may last a month or two. If you’re not ready to switch to reusables, it isn’t hard to find tampons sold without an applicator, though finding plastic-free disposable pads is challenging.

There are many brands out there for applicator-free tampons, reusable pads, menstrual cups, and specially made absorbent underwear, which basically have built-in pads. You can find them wherever natural health products are sold, like from shops on GreenPages.org.

WHO IS MOST AFFECTED?

Women of color use more beauty products and are disproportionately exposed to harmful chemicals than white women, as published in a 2017 study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In 2016, Skin Deep analyzed 1,177 beauty products marketed to Black women and found one in 12 was ranked highly hazardous. Less than 25 percent scored low in potentially hazardous ingredients.

Ami Zota, a professor at George Washington University’s School of Public Health, has theorized that Black, Latinx, and Asian American women use more beauty products to meet societal pressure. They may also be exposed to more chemicals in harmful products because there are fewer natural products marketed to them, compared to white women.

The Green Business Network has certified many brands that focus on natural, nontoxic products, including those that are owned by women and women of color, which can be found at GreenPages.org.

Research suggests the market is ready for more natural products aimed towards women of color. Black women are estimated to spend 80 percent more per year on skin care than non-Black women, and that difference is estimated because Black women must sample many more products to find those that work.

“African American and Latina women want to be like everyone else and are buying what’s within their reach,” says Sylvia Walker, owner of NAIWBE, Natural As I Wanna Be.

Walker is a Registered Nurse and Certified Health Coach who started NAIWBE when she got frustrated by the effects harsh hospital cleansers and lotions had on her skin. She provides demonstrations of NAIWBE products and education on healthy lifestyle choices in Sam’s Club, one of the places she sells products. She loves to answer questions about what’s in the products customers are using and what they could be getting from natural products.

“Everyone wants to look good and feel food, and fit in,” says Walker. “A lot of people are more open today to speaking with their doctors, than 10 or 15 years ago. Because of the internet people read more, people ask more questions… instead of just buying based on marketing and TV ads with beautiful women.”

Updated March 2023.

Plastics have been in the news lately for being a major source of pollution. You might have questions, and you’re not alone. Here, we answer some of the questions we get asked most about plastics and recycling.

1. Does banning single-use plastic even make a dent in the bigger problem of climate change?

Yes! Plastic is derived from crude oil. Banning plastic puts pressure on its producer, the fossil fuel industry. Plastic bans also bring attention to climate change, pushes customers to reuse, and encourages businesses to create reusable options.

2. I’ve heard that China used to buy plastic recyclables from the US but has cut back? What should I do with my plastic recycling?

Every town has a different situation. To find out what your recycling program’s current policy is, contact your municipality. If they’re no longer taking certain plastics, try to avoid those in the store as much as you can. You can also inquire about local drop off facilities for those types of plastic.

3. How can I avoid bringing home plastic packaging from the supermarket? Some of this plastic is not recyclable through the municipal system.

Opt for produce that isn’t wrapped in plastic and bring your own bag to carry them in. If possible, buy from a farmers market where food generally is loose. If it’s a product you love, contact the company asking for non-plastic wrapping. Your consumer voice matters!

4. What are microplastics, and what kind of plastic is most likely to become a microplastic?

Microplastics are pieces of plastic that are 5 mm or smaller. They can be created to be that size–such as microbeads in soaps—and they can be broken bits of a larger plastic or material with plastic parts. A Friends of the Earth study of UK waters found that the four leading contributors are car tires (due to abrasion on the road), external paint (from buildings and road markings), plastic pellets (used to make plastic products), and synthetic fibers from clothing.

5. Are certain plastics worse than others?

Yes. Non-recyclable and non-reusable plastics are the worst in that they take several lifetimes to break down and leach chemicals like BPA in the process. Plastic straws have taken the limelight in the single-use arena, but abandoned fishing gear, plastic bags, cigarette butts, and food packaging (including water bottles) are the more commonly found debris in the ocean.

6. What do the numbers on the bottom of plastic products mean?

Plastic is coded with numbers 1-7 that designate material. Not all plastics are recyclable, and some aren’t reusable. Refer to your local recycling center’s guidelines of what numbers are accepted at search.earth911.com

7. Why is so little plastic recycled?

Plastic is the most complicated material to recycle because each number designates a different polymer design–in other words, a #1 can’t be recycled with a #5 because they melt at different temperatures. Municipal funding levels, community pressure, and demand for recycled plastics determine what gets recycled. Unlike metals like aluminum that can be recycled indefinitely, plastics degrade each time they’re processed, making recycling more expensive than manufacturing new plastic.

8. Is it ever environmentally helpful to have plastic-wrapped food to keep food from being wasted?

Plastic wrap extends shelf life by regulating contact with air. Since food waste has a larger carbon footprint than any country except China and the US, reducing waste is important. However, alternatives to plastic wrap like Bee’s Wrap, Green America’s People and Planet Award Winner, achieve the same goal while being reusable and eco-friendly.

9. Most vegan non-food products are made of plastic, like faux leather shoes. Is there a better alternative?

Many vegan clothing companies use recycled plastic as a leather-free alternative, but plastics in clothing still break down into microplastics that marine life consume. Consider buying secondhand.

10. When we ban plastic, doesn’t that force us to use other materials that are more expensive and energy-intensive? Shouldn’t we keep using it, but get better at recycling it?

While plastic bans are a recent trend, the reality is that plastic has become so integral to society that it won’t disappear soon. We should get better at recycling it, but that alone won’t solve the plastic problem. While alternatives may be more energy-intensive and expensive than plastic, reusables last longer than single-use plastic and may be indefinitely recyclable or compostable, making their overall carbon footprint lower. Lowering our consumption of plastics, not buying to begin with, and opting for reusables are less energy-intensive than consuming more.

Interested in learning more?

Here are eleven easy ways to kick the plastic habit. And a challenge: could you go entirely plastic-free?

Green America brings together consumers to pressure major polluters to take the climate crisis seriously. We also help individuals tackle climate change in their own homes and communities. Here are ten ways you can fight climate change and even contribute to an equitable, green economy!

1. Eliminate Food Waste

Food waste in the US occurs mostly in stores and at home—either because it spoils on the store shelf or before we can eat it. According to an NRDC study, Americans throw away up to 40 percent of the food they buy. We can combat food waste by shopping for what you need, eating leftovers, composting scraps, and donating excess to food banks. You can find a local food bank at FeedingAmerica.org. Project Drawdown estimates that curbing food waste could avoid a whopping 70.5 gigatons of CO2—that’s a bigger impact than restoring 435 million acres of tropical forest.

2. Eat Plant-Based

Transitioning to a vegetarian diet can cut your carbon footprint in half, and going vegan, even lower. Even shifting from high to low meat consumption can shrink your footprint by a third, according to a University of Oxford study. If half of the world’s population reduced meat consumption and avoided the associated deforestation caused by agriculture, we could reduce carbon emissions by 66 gigatons.

3. Use Clean Energy

Renewable energy is fundamental to powering the world as we move away from fossil fuels. Modeled after World War II “war bonds,” Clean Energy Victory Bonds—a bill introduced to Congress by Sen. Udall (D-NM), Reps. Lofgren (D-CA), and Reps. Matsui (D-CA)—would offer Treasury bonds as low as $25 to finance the government’s clean energy programs. Ask your representatives to support this bill to make Clean Energy Victory Bonds a reality. Additionally, you can purchase renewable energy from installers such as Blue Pacific Solar and RGS Energy, as well as plug into renewable utilities with Clean Choice Energy and Arcadia Power, which don’t require you to install any new hardware in your home to get sun- and wind-power.

4. Participate in the Democratic Process

Climate change has implications on local, national, and global levels. While the average person isn’t responsible for governing a nation, we are responsible for deciding who does. Vote for a climate activist, support comprehensive climate policies, and use your citizen voice to contact legislators when you disagree. The results of upcoming elections will determine how Americans and their elected leaders grapple with catastrophic climate change.

5. Divest

The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels. Divesting means taking your money out of institutions that fund fossil fuel expansion, which could eventually dry up funding to those projects. So far, the fossil fuel divestment movement has removed $9.94 trillion dollars from fossil fuel companies because of institutional divestments and $5.2 billion thanks to 58,000 individual divestments. You can build a fossil-free portfolio with our nationwide network of socially-responsible investing financial advisors which you can find on GreenPages.org, through our list of financial products and services, and by encouraging your faith organization or alma mater to divest.

6. Improve Insulation

One of the most cost-effective and accessible tactics to combating the climate crisis is better insulation. Older homes can lose up to 35 percent of heat through their walls. Modern insulation reduces the energy needed to heat a home, therefore reducing emissions and saving you money. If even half of existing buildings installed thicker insulation, 8.3 gigatons of emissions could be avoided—that’s more than overhauling efficiency for the entire international shipping industry.

7. Use LED Lighting

LEDs (light-emitting diodes) use 90 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and half as much as compact fluorescents. They convert electrons to photons, effectively using electricity to create light without giving off heat, which wastes energy. Switching your home to LED lights will reduce cooling bills. They also last longer than other bulbs, so choosing them will bring long-term savings. According to Project Drawdown, universal adoption of LEDs could prevent 7.8 gigatons of carbon emissions.

8. Rethink Transportation

Overhauling the world’s transportation systems, both commercial and personal, would save as much CO2 as one billion acres of regenerative agriculture. Commercial trucks alone account for six percent of the world’s emissions—more than the collective emissions of airplanes around the globe. While individuals can’t revolutionize the shipping, flight, and automobile industries overnight, we can demand they change by voting with our dollars for public transit, using electric or hybrid vehicles, and reducing our total trips taken. 

9. Recycle

Acquiring virgin resources—from logging trees to mining minerals—exploits more resources than recycling existing materials. For example, recycled aluminum products use 95 percent less energy than creating new ones. About 50 percent of recycled materials come from households; if that number were to increase to 65 percent, at-home recycling could prevent 2.8 gigatons of carbon emissions. However, recycling wrong can slow the system and create more waste, so be sure to rinse out your recyclables and stay up to date on local regulations to make sure what you recycle isn’t causing contamination.

10. Buy Less

Choosing to buy less or not at all is the original mantra for saving money. Add “refuse” to the three Rs you’ve already heard of: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Additionally, when you don’t buy, you cut down on the amount that you contribute to landfills. The carbon footprint of refusing is hard to calculate because it varies from person to person, but tools like footprintcalculator.org can help you determine your current ecological footprint and offer actionable solutions for change, including buying less.

Steps and impact numbers are adapted from Project Drawdown, a research organization that reviews, analyzes, and identifies the most viable global climate solutions.

We're all learning how to be better to our Earth. Here, we share tips on how to make the greenest decisions that affect your home, family, and community, and hear stories from people who have already put their Earth-conscious ideas into action.

NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Major chocolate companies such as Godiva, Lindt and Hershey are failing to keep child labor out of their supply chains, according to a new ranking by activists released on Thursday.

Godiva was rated the worst, followed by Ferrero and Mondalez on a scorecard of efforts to reduce child labor and deforestation published by the activist group Green America.

Mars and Nestle were rated slightly better than Lindt and Hershey, while seven smaller companies received the best grade, including Alter Eco, Divine and Tony’s Chocolonely.

Most of the world’s cocoa is grown by poor family farmers in the West African countries of Ghana and Ivory Coast, where an estimated 1.6 million children work in the industry.

While companies are making efforts to fix the problem, Green America said it is too early to see results for some, while others received low grades for lack of transparency.

“This Halloween and every day, children should be able to enjoy candies that aren’t made by child laborers,” said Charlotte Tate, Green America’s labor justice manager.

“Big brands must do more to tackle these issues, and buying ethically sourced chocolate is one way for consumers to put pressure on brands to change their practices,” she said.

Godiva, which received the worst ranking, said it purchases cocoa through third parties which put it at a scoring disadvantage.

“We ensure ethical sourcing through agreements with our suppliers to comply with our GODIVA Code of Conduct, which explicitly prohibits the use of forced and child labor,” a company spokeswoman said in an email.

Other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Most major chocolate companies are working to increase the proportion of their cocoa that is certified as ethical by groups such as Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance, or through their own certification programs.

Many have the goal of sourcing 100% certified cocoa by 2020.

But Green America said buying certified cocoa is not enough, citing other issues such as whether companies had initiatives to support communities and raise farmers’ incomes.

Most cocoa farming families live below the World Bank’s poverty line of $2 a day, fuelling child labor, according to the charity International Cocoa Initiative (ICI).

Ghana and Ivory Coast on Thursday said that cocoa companies were too focused on their own sustainability plans versus a payment plan called the living income differential (LID), which the countries introduced this year to ease farmer poverty.

“The two countries (are) therefore re-examining all sustainability and certification programs for the 2019/20 season,” they said in a joint statement.

A U.S.-based green economy group says some of the world’s most popular chocolate companies are not so sweet when it comes to human rights and sustainability.

Green America gives Godiva chocolate an F in efforts to reduce child labor and deforestation in cocoa production and supply chains.

Ferroro and Mondelez were both rated D while giant manufacturers Lindt and Hershey were given C. Mars and Nestle were rated C+.

Top-rated candymakers, including Endangered Species, Equal Exchange, and Tony’s Chocolonely all earned an A.

“Children should be able to enjoy candies that aren’t made by child laborers and these child laborers should be enjoying their childhoods rather than being forced to work in dangerous conditions,” Green America’s Charlotte Tate said.

“The aim of Green America’s scorecard is to help consumers feel confident about choosing chocolates that are ethically sourced with high-quality ingredients.”

Activists estimate that 1.6 million children of poor families work in Ghana and Ivory Coast harvesting cocoa beans for chocolate production. Most cocoa farming families earn about $2 a day.

The activists also say unsustainable cocoa farming has decimated rainforests.

Low-rated Godiva was the only company to respond to the report so far, saying it “ensures ethical sourcing through agreements with our suppliers to comply with our Godiva code of conduct which explicitly prohibits the use of forced child labor.”

NEW YORK, Oct 10 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Major chocolate companies such as Godiva, Lindt and Hershey are failing to keep child labor out of their supply chains, according to a new ranking by activists released on Thursday.

Godiva was rated the worst, followed by Ferrero and Mondalez on a scorecard of efforts to reduce child labor and deforestation published by the activist group Green America.

Mars and Nestle were rated slightly better than Lindt and Hershey, while seven smaller companies received the best grade, including Alter Eco, Divine and Tony's Chocolonely.

Most of the world's cocoa is grown by poor family farmers in the West African countries of Ghana and Ivory Coast, where an estimated 1.6 million children work in the industry.

While companies are making efforts to fix the problem, Green America said it is too early to see results for some, while others received low grades for lack of transparency.

"This Halloween and every day, children should be able to enjoy candies that aren't made by child laborers," said Charlotte Tate, Green America's labor justice manager.

"Big brands must do more to tackle these issues, and buying ethically sourced chocolate is one way for consumers to put pressure on brands to change their practices," she said.

Godiva, which received the worst ranking, said it purchases cocoa through third parties which put it at a scoring disadvantage.

"We ensure ethical sourcing through agreements with our suppliers to comply with our GODIVA Code of Conduct, which explicitly prohibits the use of forced and child labor," a company spokeswoman said in an email.

Other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Most major chocolate companies are working to increase the proportion of their cocoa that is certified as ethical by groups such as Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance, or through their own certification programs.

Many have the goal of sourcing 100% certified cocoa by 2020.

But Green America said buying certified cocoa is not enough, citing other issues such as whether companies had initiatives to support communities and raise farmers' incomes.

Most cocoa farming families live below the World Bank's poverty line of $2 a day, fuelling child labor, according to the charity International Cocoa Initiative (ICI).

Ghana and Ivory Coast on Thursday said that cocoa companies were too focused on their own sustainability plans versus a payment plan called the living income differential (LID), which the countries introduced this year to ease farmer poverty.

"The two countries (are) therefore re-examining all sustainability and certification programs for the 2019/20 season," they said in a joint statement.

WASHINGTON, DC – October 10, 2019 – Just in time for buying Halloween candy, the Green America Chocolate Scorecard ranks major chocolate companies on their sustainability and human rights efforts in cocoa supply chains. The three lowest graded companies Godiva (F) and Ferrero and Mondelez (both Ds) performed even worse than Lindt, Hershey (both C), Mars and Nestle (C+).

Chocolate maker Guittard received a B+ rating. Alter Eco, Divine, Endangered Species, Equal Exchange, Shaman, Theo Chocolate, and Tony’s Chocolonely were all given As.

It is estimated that over 2 million children are working in cocoa fields in West Africa.  In addition, cocoa growing has decimated forests in the Ivory Coast and Ghana. Companies were rated on the steps they are taking on child labor, deforestation, and whether they have meaningful programs to address farmer poverty.

“This Halloween and every day, children should be able to enjoy candies that aren’t made by child laborers, and those child laborers should be enjoying their childhoods, rather than being forced to work in dangerous conditions,” said Charlotte Tate, labor justice manager at Green America.

Tate added: “However, companies continue to make that a difficult task by not adequately addressing child labor in their supply chain. Big brands must do more to tackle these issues and buying ethically sourced chocolate is one way for consumers to put pressure on brands to change their practices.”

“When bombarded with endless choices, it can be difficult to know which chocolate brands are having a positive impact on the world,” said Todd Larsen, executive co-director of Consumer and Corporate Engagement at Green America. “The aim of Green America’s scorecard is to help consumers feel confident about choosing chocolates that are ethically sourced with high-quality ingredients.”

The Green America Chocolate Scorecard provides a resource to consumers to help identify and purchase chocolate that is ethically made, so that consumers can help in the fight against child labor through supporting those brands making the biggest efforts.

The largest companies’ failure to address child labor in cocoa was spotlighted in a major Washington Post exposé this past spring that raised consumer awareness about the issues.

ABOUT GREEN AMERICA

Green America is the nation’s leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to solve today’s social and environmental problems. http://www.GreenAmerica.org

MEDIA CONTACT: Max Karlin for Green America, (703) 276-3255, or mkarlin@hastingsgroup.com.