Trick-or-treat without slave-candy this Halloween

Source: Read This and Hack! A decade ago I screened the documentary, The Dark Side of Chocolate, which marked what I call my "official" entry into intentional activism and scholarship for social justice. The documentary was a follow up to the chocolate industry's fight against a "slave free" label requirement, promising instead to regulate itself...

Via Grist: The world is on lockdown. So where are all the carbon emissions coming from?

The nonprofit news outlets cautions us to "[a]ppreciate the bluer skies and fresher air, while you can. But the emissions drop from the pandemic should be a warning, not a cause for celebration: a sign of how much further there is to go." Read on…

How ‘fair’ is fair trade?

Happy New Year! 2020 symbolizes many new beginnings for people. 2020 is new year, a new decade, and many a milestone (e.g., 100th anniversary of US women’s suffrage, the 75th anniversary of the United Nations). It’s also the year I’m reviving this blog (once again). Reflecting on the last decade and the ups and downs...

Can the solutions for climate change help us fix poverty too?

With more than 800 million people living in extreme poverty and many more struggling to make an honest living, it is clear that the current global economic model isn't working for everyone. Economic growth often comes at the expense of the majority, with short-term financial gains trumping long-term sustainability. The current global obsession with economic growth, alongside...

Are your pineapples ethical?

Here's a quick post on the situation in Costa Rica about pineapple union workers and exploitation they face: Banana Workers’ Strike Highlights Abuses by Corporations in Costa Rica Consumers International also has a case study on pineapples, which investigates working conditions in the pineapple industry and its impact on communities and the environment in Costa...

The Racial Privilege of Voting With Your Dollars to Create a ‘Good Food’ System |

This text-heavy infographic from the Sistah Vegan Project complicates a often-spouted mantra: vote with your dollars. I must admit, I have used this phrase when I explain why I use my class privilege to purchase foods that are ethically-sourced and less environmentally detrimental than conventional goods. I'm aware that to say (and act) so is...