In the News

Chesapeake woman spreads fair trade candy on Halloween

The Virginian-Pilot
10/31/2008

By Steven G. Vegh

As her boys stroll door-to-door hollering "trick or treat" this Halloween, Katherine Johnke will be right behind them with another message: "Fair trade chocolate!"

Johnke, 38, of Chesapeake, will give homeowners chocolates guaranteed not to be produced with child labor or unfair pricing for farmers... 

Participating congregants plan to give the 19-cent chocolates to trick-or-treaters, or have their own children give the candy to homeowners. Each treat includes a card describing the Fair Trade philosophy and cocoa industry practices...

Trick and Trade

CBS 3 Springfield
10/31/2008

By Justine Judge

A group of Hadley teens are putting a new spin on Trick or Treating. They're trying to to change the kind of chocolate people buy to help kids half a world away. Instead of Trick or Treat it will be Trick and Trade.

Jaimon Olmstead and his 8th grade class at Hartsfrook School in Hadley are joining up with thousands of trick or treater's across the US and Canada.

They're hoping to shed light on big chocolate corporations who use child labor off the Ivory Coast of Africa where 40 percent of the world's cocoa is produced... 

Mankato 'Reverse Trick-or-Treaters' Give Fair Trade Chocolate

Fox 9 News (Twin Cities)
10/31/2008

Excerpt from article: 

Trick-or-treaters in Mankato are spreading awareness about Fair Trade chocolate and problems with the global cocoa trade this Halloween... 

The campaign hopes to raise awareness of child labor, poverty and other issues surrounding the global cocoa industry, and let people know about Fair Trade chocolate alternatives... 

Churches push fair-trade chocolates for Halloween

USA Today
10/31/2008

By Brittney Bain

Faith organizations and congregations around the country are promoting fair-trade chocolate for trick-or-treaters to raise consciousness about conditions and prices for cocoa farmers around the world.

"This is an example of how everybody has the ability to make some change," said Susan Burton, who works for the the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society in Washington... 

Reverse Trick-or-Treating

New York Times (Well Blog)
10/31/2008

By Tara Parker-Pope

...“Chocolate connects the millions of Americans who eat it daily to the growers around the world who depend on cocoa for their livelihoods,” said Adrienne Fitch-Frankel, Global Exchange’s fair trade campaign director, in a press release. “It is unthinkable that our children are eating chocolate made with illegal child labor or slave labor, especially when a viable solution, Fair Trade Certified chocolate, exists right now.”

Reverse trick-or-treat focuses on fair-trade candy

Edmonton Journal
10/31/2008

By Hanneke Brooymans

Some children will be participating in a reverse trick-or-treat campaign to make people aware of the ongoing child labour and environmental damage involved in the chocolate industry.

These children will hand out fair-trade certified chocolates made from cocoa that was purchased at a fair price -- a price that allows farmers to make a decent living, as well as premiums to invest in health care, safe water, education and business infrastructure, says TransFair Canada, a non-profit organization that promotes fair-trade products... 

Fair Trade Trick-or-Treat

Policy Innovations
10/30/2008

By Louisa Chan

...In partnership with ten other nonprofit organizations and three fair trade chocolate companies, Global Exchange, a San Francisco–based human rights organization, has distributed reverse trick-or-treat kits across the United States and Canada. In addition to getting a little chocolate of their own, participating children will hand out samples of fair trade chocolate and a card describing the poverty, child labor, and environmental problems associated with the mainstream chocolate industry.

Candy awareness in Mankato

Mankato Free Press
10/30/2008

By Brian Ojanpa

...The reverse trick-or-treating is done by children kindergarten age and up, and Christ the King Lutheran youth minister Steve Kidder keeps the Fair Trade concept simple for participating grade-schoolers.

The global cocoa industry, as with coffee and other commodities, is beset with unfair labor practices, particularly in Africa, where child labor abuses exist.

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