Sustainable cocoa
After a nine year campaign by Stop The Traffik, local chocolate manufacturer Darrell Lea have announced a sustainable chocolate plan to ensure their chocolate is free from slavery. They are yet to choose the certification system - FairTrade or UTZ/Rainforest Alliance (these two schemes are merging). All major brands now have certifications. This video shows why certification is important. Learn more about the effectiveness of certification. Compare brands at Shop Ethical! Chocolate.
Fashion guide
It has been five years since the Rana Plaza building collapsed in Bangladesh. Marking this anniversary, Baptist World Aid Australia have released their 2018 Ethical Fashion report which grades 114 companies (407 brands), from A to F, on the strength of their systems to mitigate against the risks of forced labour, child labour and exploitation in their supply chains. The global Fashion Revolution Week also runs from 23 - 29 April. Explore the connection between clothes and makers at an event near you.
Be inspired: The last straw
Nine year-old Molly Steer from Cairns saw the damage that disposable plastics do to the ocean, and knew she had to do something. With all the innocence of youth, she set about convincing schools to remove single use plastic straws from their tuckshops. This month McDonalds in the UK has announced it's phase-out of plastic straws from its 1,300 restaurants. Our Be Inspired feature this month explores the small straw, it's big effect, and amazing initiatives to stop the flow of plastic. Be Inspired!
More ethical tech
“We didn’t take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake.” Facebook CEO’s Mark Zuckerberg was referring to privacy of information in his opening remarks before the Senate in relation to the Cambridge Analytica incident. It could however be applied to the whole electronics sector. The Guardian's recent article Fix it, dispose responsibly and buy better outlines some of the issues, and what you can do about them, including a mention of our Shop Ethical! Guide to Electronics.
Overfishing
Global Fishing Watch, supported by actor Leonardo DiCaprio, has released an interactive map, revealing that more than half the world’s oceans are being fished by industrial vessels. It shows commercial fishing covers a greater surface area than agriculture and raises questions about the sustainability of trawler fishing. The UN says one-third of commercial fish stocks are being caught at unsustainable levels. To make a difference: go fish-free; choose fish lower on the marine food-chain (like sardines over bigger fish); use the Sustainable Seafood Guide; sign the AMCS petition.
Quick Bites
60 Minutes footage of 2,400 sheep dying from heat stress in August 2017 prompts an investigation into the live sheep export sector. Sign the Animals Australia petition.
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Animals Australia
Sign the petition calling for palm oil to be excluded from the CEPA free trade agreement between Indonesia and the EU. Palm oil imports to Europe will drive rainforest destruction.
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Forest Rescue
Domino’s Pizza have made vegan cheese a permanent menu option. A sign of the growing movement of people avoiding animal products and making compassionate food choices.
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AFN
The Body Shop's new parent company, Natura, is backing the push for a global ban on animal testing. Sign the petition calling on the UN to adopt an international convention.
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Forever Against Testing
A new report 'Reaping What We Sow' explores the practices of Industrial Agriculture and how large, specialised farms are creating widespread environmental and public health problems.
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US.PIRG
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