Update. March 2010

Go ethical this easter!

Make the Fairtrade Chocolate choice!
When you choose Fairtrade Certified chocolate you’re helping create a better and brighter future for for thousands of cocoa farmers and their families in developing countries.

They receive a fair price and funds to develop their communities and invest in everyday things like education and healthcare. To view the range of Fairtrade chocolate choices available, including the range of Easter eggs available from Scarborough Fair, Chocolatier and Cocolo, visit www.fairtrade.com.au


Come on tour!

Have you been on a 'Shopping with a Concience' workshop and supermarket tour?
If not, now is your chance! Our first monthly public tour for 2010 will be held this Thursday evening 25th March. Download a flyer here.

We're running other sustainable shopping workshops and presentations in Kew, Sunshine, Eltham, Ashburton and Knox City over the coming months. Find out details of one your area and register online here . (Text list here).


Upcoming Events ....

Ethical Consumer Group "Meal & Movie nights"
The Ethical Consumer Group meets once a month to discuss aspects of living out sustainable alternatives in a consumerist culture. Join us on the 2nd Thursday of each month for dinner 6.30 - 7.30pm - byo 'food and thoughts' to share - and/or movie begins 8pm. Wrap up by 10.30pm.

Food Inc. - 15th April - Seddon
The Burning Season - 13th May - Yarraville
No Impact Man - 10th June - Yarraville
More


Celebrate the Fair Trade movement and campaign for justice in trade practices. Checkout the Fair Trade Festival at Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market on Sunday the 16th of May between 10.00am to 4.00pm. Find out how to convert your Workplace, School, University, Place of Worship, Council, or City to fairtrade at www.fairtrade.com.au/ftf2010

 

Focus on Labelling ....

"People have the right to know what they’re putting in, on, and around their bodies. There are three simple things everyone should know about their food but don’t: Where did it come from? How was it made? What’s in it?"(from the Good Guide Transparency Manifesto)

Palm oil labelling - Act Now!

A huge 100,000 people have now signed Melbourne Zoo's Don’t Palm us Off petition to mandate the labelling of palm oil on all food products.

As an individuals or organisations make your submission to the Senate Committee. Remember that you can take a range of angles - animal rights, human rights, health, consumer rights.

To read more about the Bill here (click on the Food Standards Amendment Truth in Labelling – Palm Oil Bill 2009). See submission guidelines at the Don’t Palm us Off website www.zoo.org.au/palmoil

Why label palm-oil? In short -
* Australians should be able to choose whether their purchases contribute to the loss of an eco-system and species such as the Orang-utan
* Labelling palm-oil helps to show which food manufacturers are not purchasing ethical sources of palm-oil
* Labelling will help drive a market for a sustainable palm-oil industry that considers the needs of people and wildlife.


Choice magazine - whats behind the label


Choice magazine has assessed the top ten independent endorsement labels in Australia, putting each certification through its paces on transparency, consumer friendliness, conflict-of-interest management, stakeholder engagement, equitable participation and verifiability of compliance. labels reviewed include: Australian Certified Organic (ACO); Fairtrade; Rainforest Alliance Certified & RSPCA ‘Paw of Approval’. Full article at www.choice.com.au

 

Labelling review

If you have opinions or ideas about how to improve food labelling in Australia, now is the time to do something about it. The Committee conducting the Independent Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy is about to embark on the planned second round of public consultations in Australia and New Zealand.

There are public forum being held - Melbourne's is on Thursday 29th April. The closing date for written submissions is 14 May 2010. More at www.foodlabellingreview.gov.au.

 

Considering buying copy paper? ....

Kick the Reflex habit. The "Kick Reflect" campaign is calling on the Maryvale Mill, and parent company Nippon Paper to cease purchasing logs from high conservation value forests, water catchments and threatened species habitat. The power of paper retailers, suppliers and consumers is vital in telling the company that our forests are more important than logging for paper. www.kickreflex.com

Tell the Brumby Government it's their turn to save water as they tell us to under their Target 155 Scheme. Native forest clearfell logging in Melbourne's catchments costs billions of litres of water. www.target155.org.au

Find copy papers with non-native fibres at www.wilderness.org.au/files/paper-guide-09


Get guided! ...

First rule of Ethical purchasing - 'Ask do I need it'?

2010 pocket guide
Updated edition of the pocket guide - expanded to include alcohol and office supplies, new colour coded categories, upgraded ratings system, beyond the supermarket blurb. Get the Guide!

.iPhone app
The Shop Ethical! app gives you INSTANT ACCESS to over 2,800 products with related company information and lets you make an informed and ethical decision whenever you shop. Get the App!

Hemp Bag
What are the criteria for a 'good' purchase? They're hard to forget when you've got them on your Hemp shopping bag.
Bag yourself a Bag!

... well perhaps you do (or perhaps you don't) ?

 

See news and print guide updates at http://www.ethical.org.au/news
To view this newsletter online go to www.ethical.org.au/newsletters/mar2010.htm