About the Ingredients
Palm Oil Concerns
The short list for why we are palm-free:
Palm oil contributes to deforestation. Vast amounts of forests are cleared to make way for palm plantations.
Palm oil contributes to air pollution. When land is cleared for plantations, it is often burned.
Palm oil contributes to the death of endangered species including orangutans, tigers, rhinoceros, elephants, and sun bears as a result of habitat loss and poaching.
Palm oil contributes to displacement of indigenous peoples leading to human rights violations.
Palm oil ranks among the top worst industries for forced and child labor.
You’ll find that this limits some of our product offerings because there are many ingredients that are derived from palm-oil and finding alternatives is rather difficult.
Why Fair Trade Certifications are Important
Fair Trade is a global trade model and certification allows shoppers to quickly identify products that were produced in an ethical manner.
For consumers, Fair Trade offers a powerful way to reduce poverty through their everyday shopping. For farmers and workers in developing countries, Fair Trade offers better prices, improved terms of trade, and the business skills necessary to produce high-quality products that can compete in the global marketplace. Through vibrant trade, farmers and workers can improve their lives and plan for their futures. Today, Fair Trade benefits more than 1.2 million farming families in 70 developing countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Globally, the Fair Trade network certifies coffee, tea and herbs, cocoa, fresh fruit and vegetables, sugar, beans and grains, flowers, nuts, oils and butters, honey and spices, wine and apparel, and certified ingredients are now used in ready-to-drink beverages, body care products and spirits. In the United States, Fair Trade Certified™ products are available in more than 50,000 retail locations.
Fair Trade principles include:
• Fair prices and credit
• Fair labor conditions
• Direct trade
• Democratic and transparent organizations
• Community development
• Environmental sustainability