ACTION
ALERT –APRIL 2004
GOOD
SHEPHERD VOICES FOR JUSTICE
CHOOSE
FAIR TRADE CHOCOLATE FOR EASTER
_____________________________________________
The Good Shepherd Voices for Justice group asks you think ‘justice’
when you buy your Easter chocolate this year.
Easter is coming soon. Many of us include chocolate in our
Easter celebrations. This year, we ask that you choose fair trade chocolate. We
also ask that you help promote fair trade chocolate.
1) Contact M&M/Mars to ask for Fair Trade chocolate for Easter, and year-round. (Sample letter below)
For faith-based groups, individuals, and other organizations: Since M&M/Mars and other big companies don’t offer Fair Trade Certified products, we have to choose between our favorite sweets and our values. If socially-conscious chocolate lovers ask M&M/Mars for Fair Trade, they’ll offer the Fair Trade alternative that farmers and consumers want.
M&M MARS CONTACT INFORMATION
Paul Michaels, President
M&M/Mars Inc.
6885 Elm St.
McLean, VA 22101
PHONE: 800-627-7852
E-MAIL: mailto:consumer.affairs@mmmars.com
(cut and paste the sample letter below in an email)
2) Buy Fair Trade Certified chocolate and cocoa for your Easter baskets and egg hunts.
Fair Trade Certified company listings are at
www.globalexchange.org/cocoa, “Where to Buy.” For retail, on-line, and company
lists also see www.fairtradecertified.org, “Where to Buy.”
3) Ask your local stores to stock Fair Trade Certified
chocolate in time for Easter
Tired of “hunting” around to find Fair Trade
Certified chocolate and cocoa? Ask stores to offer the Fair Trade Certified
products concerned people like you are looking for. Global Exchange has a
user-friendly advocacy guide at www.globalexchange.org/cocoa, “Get Involved.”
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SAMPLE LETTER:
Paul Michaels, President
M&M/Mars Inc.
6885 Elm St.,
McLean, VA 22101
Dear Mr. Michaels,
I write to you today because I believe that you are in a
position to better the lives of small farmers who grow cocoa in West Africa by
choosing to sell Fair Trade Certified chocolate.
As you know, the International Labor Organization, the U.S.
State Department and others have reported that over 250,000 children work in
hazardous tasks on West African cocoa farms, 66 percent of Ivory Coast child
cocoa workers don’t attend school, and some Ivory Coast farms use abusive child
labor. The cause of such abuses is poverty -- exacerbated by the fact that
small cocoa farmers are not being paid for properly for their work. Fair Trade
certification would guarantee adequate incomes for small farmers so that they
can send their children to school and pay their workers.
In many of these places, the children have never tasted
chocolate, but we know that very soon M&M/Mars Inc. will sell plenty of
products to U.S. families who plan to fill Easter baskets with chocolate
candies. I find it hard to promote the sale of any commodity that is produced
under unjust labor practices -- especially ones that exploit children.
Therefore, I am encouraging friends, families and supporters living in the U.S.
to choose Fair Trade Certified chocolate over all kinds this Easter holiday season.
If M&M/Mars would offer Fair Trade chocolate, shopping would be made easy
for those concerned about this issue.
I believe (through your reported participation in the
September 2001 Protocol agreement) that you do want to help. Still, we
encourage you to buy Fair Trade Certified cocoa. I firmly believe that until
the worldwide problem low commodity prices is rectified, the promotion of Fair
Trade Certified products is the best way to ensure that:
·
Fair wages are paid in the local context;
·
Employees have opportunities for advancement;
·
There are equal employment opportunities for all people;
·
Cocoa is produced using environmentally sustainable
practices;
·
Cocoa trade is open to public accountability;
·
Long-term trade relationships are built;
·
Healthy and safe working conditions within the local context
are provided; and
·
Financial and technical assistance are provided to producers
whenever possible.
As the world’s biggest chocolate company, M&M/Mars has the
responsibility and resources to sell Fair Trade. I believe it is possible for
M&M/Mars to begin now.
Thank you for responding to our request. I look forward to
hearing your plans to sell Fair Trade Certified chocolate.
Your Name
Address
Phone
Email
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This alert is circulated by Global Exchange, www.globalexchange.org and has been
promoted by Good Shepherd Voices for
Justice.