Now is the time of year
when more than 20 million Americans are buying sweets and flowers for their loved ones on Valentine's
Day. Unfortunately, these tokens of love aren't as sweet or pure as they may appear. Over 40 percent of the world's
conventional chocolate (i.e. non-organic and non-Fair Trade) comes from Africa's Ivory Coast, where the International
Labor Organization and US State Department have reported widespread instances of child slavery. Meanwhile, commercial
flowers, most of which are produced in countries such as Colombia,
are the most toxic and heavily sprayed agricultural crops on Earth. Supplying the global market, poorly paid workers in Third World countries put in up to 18 hour
work days for poverty wages during peak flower buying times such as Valentine's Day. But don't let the bad news squelch your
Valentine's plans. Show your love by choosing Fair Trade and organic flowers and chocolate for
your Valentine's Day gifts.
Check out the Organic Consumers Association
website to learn more about how to put your money where your values lie and to show your loved ones that you truly care by
choosing Fair Trade and organic flowers and chocolate for your Valentine’s Day gifts.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/valentines/index.cfm
