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LENT EXTRA 2003
Ethical High Street Shopping
By Ellen Teague  

10 SHOPPING TIPS FOR THE ETHICAL SHOPPER

Every time you go shopping, you can use your spending power to vote for your values.  The following is from the Ethical Consumer magazine.

1. Local shops
   Use local, independent stores as places to shop. They discourage car use, offer a more personal service and support the local community.
2. Health food shops
   These are excellent places to pick up Best Buy products that aren't available in supermarkets. Increasingly, they stock fair trade, vegetarian and organic products, as well as vitamins and herbal remedies.
3. Fair trade
   To buy ethically look out for Fairtrade Foundation marked products which guarantee workers have been fairly rewarded for their labour. Organisations such as Oxfam (01865 311311) and Traidcraft (0191 491 1001) sell fair trade goods on the high street or via mail order catalogues.
4. Products not tested on animals
   Beauty products tested on animals rightly appal many. Look out for 'not tested on animals' labels or better still contact BUAV (020 7700 4888) or Naturewatch (01242 252871) for an approved product guide.
5. Vegan and vegetarian products
   Avoiding animal products can be tough, especially when they crop up in surprising products such as beer and sweets. The Vegan Society publishes the Animal Free Shopper, a comprehensive guide to vegan and vegetarian products. Also look out for the Vegetarian Society symbol.
6. Organic produce
   The last few years has seen a take-off in the demand for organic produce, ranging from vegetables to bread and meat. Organic food is free of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, which benefits the workforce, the consumer and the environment. Look out for the Soil Association symbol or contact the Association (0117 9290661) to locate your nearest organic outlet.
7. Non-genetically altered food
   Genetically manipulated (GM) food has the potential to be the next big food crisis. Despite around 70% of the public opposing its use, it increasingly finds its way into our diet. Look out for GM-free labels or the Vegetarian Society symbol which is also a guarantee of GM-free food.
8. Ethical money
   The Co-op (0800 905090) is currently the only high street bank with a truly ethical stance. One of Europe's leading ethical banks is Triodos (0117 9739339), which now offers savings accounts to customers in the UK while the Ecology Building Society also offers a range of saving accounts and ISAs.
   Ethical investments continue to show growth and EIRIS (Ethical Investment Research Service) (0207 840 5700) is a great starting point for the first time investor.
9. Recycling & second hand
   Recycled and second hand products save precious resources and reduce pressure on landfill sites. Anything from paper to printer cartridges and TVs can be 'recycled'. For advice on recycling points in your area or a guide to recycled products, contact Wasteline (0870 243 0136).  
10. Wood Products and the FSC logo
    Many timber products reach the UK having originated from unsustainably managed forests, frequently virgin rainforest. The Forest Stewardship Council (01686 413916) operates an independent verification of sustainable timber and paper products. Look out for the FSC logo.

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A basket of mangoes goes a long way

Preda, a non-profit foundation in the Philippines, was set up by Irish Columban priest Shay Cullen 26 years ago to promote human rights and justice. One aspect of its work is assistance to small farmers, who, supported by Preda, now grow exportable fruit, particularly Mango. Preda dried mangoes are available in the UK and Ireland at Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Dunnes supermarkets.

Dried mangoes is a mineral packed, chemical free food; but it is more than this. According to Fr Cullen: “The marketing of 100% fair traded dried mangoes brings the direct benefits of higher prices and social benefits to many poor farmers in the Philippines. They can keep their families together in the villages, their children going to school, and as a result the migration to the cities and abroad is greatly reduced. This kind of project keeps the poor out of the city slums and the children off the streets where they are vulnerable to abduction into the sex trade. Fair trade is more than buying and selling products for fair prices, it means that we oppose unfair practices and exploitation of the poor and campaign for social justice.”

Fr Cullen suggests that a basket of dried mangos would be an appropriate Easter gift to friends. Further details of the work of Preda can be found on its webpage:  www.preda.org

 What about using the following recipe for a special Easter Sunday ice-cream, using dried mangoes and eggs:

Dried Mango Ice Cream

100g Sun Dried Mango
1 cup White Wine or Tropical Fruit Juice
3 Eggs Separated

140g Caster Sugar
1/2 pint Double Cream Lightly Whipped

Using enough liquid to cover the fruit, first soak your mango in white wine, or for a non-alcoholic version, in a tropical juice. After 1/2 hour of soaking, puree fruit with soaking liquid. Whisk egg whites until stiff, then whisk in 70g of caster sugar. Whisk cream. Then using a large bowl, whisk the egg yolk and remaining 70g of caster sugar until thick. Then add the puree of mangoes. Then fold in the whipped cream and finally the egg whites. Freeze for about 1-2 hours until semi-frozen, remove from freezer and re-whip to remove ice crystals. Freeze solid.

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Box:

Fairtrade Fortnight coincides with the first two weeks of Lent. Look at www.fairtrade.org.uk for further information and look out for the Fairtrade mark.

24% of the UK population now knows about the FAIRTRADE Mark, but less than 5% buy the products regularly. Regular purchases, such as tea and coffee, are available carrying the Fairtrade mark.

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EGGS - The perfect little Easter treat?

Easter celebrations incorporate some ancient pagan customs which marked the return of Spring after the Winter season. The Easter Egg was a symbol of rebirth and germinating life. The exchange of eggs in the springtime was a centuries old custom which was continued by Christians.

Today, the eggs exchanged tend to be chocolate ones. You could buy:

·        the Nestle NestEggs, a bag of around 150 chocolate eggs, advertised by them as, “that delicious Nestle ‘Crunch’ or ‘Butterfinger’ packed into each of these little 1-inch, foil-wrapped eggs in pastel spring colours”. However, consider that Nestle, which describes itself as the “world’s biggest food company” and “a world leader in nutrition”, found its London headquarters besieged on 18 December by campaigners demanding that the company drop claims to collect $6 million from Ethiopia. The average person in Ethiopia makes less than $2 a day, while the Swiss giant makes about $6 million every hour. Nestle's business in Ethiopia was seized by the previous regime in 1975. The company now wants compensation although, after the protests, it indicated an intention to reinvest any damages in the country. Ethiopia is struggling with a famine that could see as many as 11 million people facing starvation during 2003, aid workers and government officials say.

Or, you could buy

·        Oxfam’s fair trade chocolate egg in a mug – available from Oxfam shops – or fair trade Divine mini Easter eggs in a bag available from Waitrose, Coop and Tesco.

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Live simply that others may simply live

The 40 days of Lent could provide an opportunity to reflect on life changes to reduce consumption. The UK population is among the 20% of the world’s population that consumes 80% of the planet’s resources. Addiction to overconsumption can be tackled little by little, day by day. Conduct a Personal Environmental Audit. How much waste do I produce? How much of how many resources do I waste? How do I over consume? Make a list. Each day of Lent, make a positive change. Some changes might be:

• Share at least one newspaper or magazine subscription with a friend or neighbour.
• Recycle more paper, metal, glass, cardboard. Encourage better recycling at your church, work, school.
• Do not buy products that use excess packaging.
• Go shopping with a cloth bag. If you forget, request a paper bag rather than a plastic bag.
• Reduce use of processed food. Cooking "from scratch" takes more planning and time but it is more nutritious and fun when done together. Try to make menu planning, shopping and food preparation a social event, instead of a chore.
• Develop clever ways of using left overs to reduce the amount of food thrown away. Investigate recipes from other countries, especially Developing Countries.
• Reduce your consumption of red meat. It takes 2500 gallons of water and many pounds of grain to make one pound of beef for our table.
• Grow your own herbs and vegetables wherever possible. 

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