Bread Blog

Flowers for my Fair (Trade) Valentine

How are you celebrating heart day?  Perhaps your sweetheart would appreciate a box of chocolates and a dozen roses.  But stop and consider this: Valentine's Day also provides you a great opportunity to put the concept of fair trade into practice.  When you make your purchase decision, make sure that the product has fair trade certification.  This primarily ensures that the grower of the cocoa, sugar and flowers were paid a fair price for their products.

So instead of buying the commercial brand of boxed chocolates, you might consider purchasing the special products offered on this day by these popular providers of fair trade chocolate Divine, Equal Exchange or SERRV.   

What about flowers? Most of us are already aware about fairly traded chocolates, coffee and tea, but fair-trade flowers are not as widely known.  Fair-trade flowers have only been available in the U.S. since August 2007, due primarily to the efforts of Transfair USA.

For flower farmers, fair trade certification means more than just a fair wage.  It requires that farms provide employee benefits including 12 weeks maternity leave and child care. Read more  about the growers.

But the wages are important too. Did you know that for every fair-trade flower sold by the Hoja Verde flower farm in Ecuador, the cooperative is able send one more child to school?  Most fair-trade flowers come from three countries: Ecuador, Colombia and Kenya.  See list of producers

Where can you buy Fair Trade flowers? Here is a partial list of online retailers and supermarket chains nationwide.

The concept of fair-trade flowers is catching on rapidly.  For Alaina Paradise, who owns Albuquerque-based One World Flowers, this was a very busy week.  "Valentine's Day has been absolutely outstanding for business," said Ms. Paradise, whose company ran out of inventory a few days before Feb. 14.

Ms. Paradise, who started her local operation in March 2008 as a licensee of Transfair, offers a wide variety of bouquets and other products to her customers. 

"We're excited because this holiday is making such an impact on the farms," she said. "When the farms are doing well, they're able to employ more people and sustain the fair-trade business model.

So as you consider what to give your sweetheart this Valentine's day, also keep in mind the countless workers who labored growing the products that the two of you will enjoy together on this special day.

Recipe for Hope: Respond to the Hunger Crisis

You can make a difference in the global hunger crisis.

It's in the news nearly every day: Food prices are soaring worldwide. More low-income people in the United States are making trips to food banks, whose stocks are quickly depleting. In developing countries, for the world's poorest people—who spend up to 80 percent of their income to buy food—the situation is even more devastating. 

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But you have the power to be part of the solution.  JOIN THE CAMPAIGN

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For six weeks, from Mother's Day through Father's Day, Bread for the World will conduct an online campaign to help hunger activists raise awareness and take action. Each week, an email from Bread will offer the ingredients for:

• Recipe for Despair
  More information on the causes of this crisis; and a


• Recipe for Hope
  Specific actions you can take to help end it. You can also invite your friends to join the campaign.

It's easy to feel helpless when you watch people around the world suffering for lack of food. Be part of the Recipe for Hope, and be part of the solution.

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JOIN THE CAMPAIGN 

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Learn more about rising food prices and the hunger crisis.

Read Bread's press release on the Recipe for Hope and invite your friends to join on Facebook.

We'll also be updating the blog during the six-week campaign with the actions we'll be urging folks to take - thank you in advance for joining!  It's quick and free to sign up, and it matters - right now.

Could You Eat on $21 a Week?

The average food stamp recipient receives $1 per meal per day. Would you like to see two members of Congress try living on that diet? The co-chairs of the Congressional Hunger Caucus did just that.

In the May edition of breadcast, we hear from Reps. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) and Jim McGovern (D-MA) discuss what it was like for them eat like people on food stamps for a week. And our producer, Brian Duss, discusses his own adventures on the “Food Stamp Challenge.”

When you subscribe to breadcast on iTunes or download it from our Web site you’ll also get our legislative update, music from Keith Green, and hear more about a food stamp diet from food bank director George Jones, nutritionist Tracy Fox and Mark Andersen from We Are Family Senior Outreach Network.

"there are things to be done"

Just a quick note to make sure you all saw Bread for the World's President David Beckmann second interview with Bill Moyers, aired last Friday, April 11th on PBS.  In the entire program they cover (and uncover) hunger issues in America, and the interview is that much more relevant given the food crises and riots rocking developing countries the past several weeks.

Watch the interview here and that link will also have shortcuts to the rest of the vital, potent program.

Furthermore, the Moyers Journal also generously provided Beckmann with guest blogger status on their blog and he has some excellent and timely follow up thoughts on where the farm bill needs to be especially to meet the needs of those suffering the effects of the food crises the most and farmers and hungry families in America. 

Read "A Chance to Help Those Who Need it Most" and check out/join the already very vibrant and long discussion going in their comment section!

THIS IS ALL HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

Take action and learn more here.

Share Your Story and Get Published!

Here is a unique opportunity for anyone who has an amazing, humorous, or otherwise inspiring story to tell about a satisfying act of service. Author Gail Perry Johnston—with new publisher, Cupola Press—is requesting submissions for a book called, The Social Cause Diet: Finding A Service That Feeds Your Soul. In addition to all the direct service stories that are likely to fill this book, it would be great to share you own story of how advocating to make our laws more fair and compassionate to people in need has enriched your life.

The Social Cause Diet will feature everyday people who give of their time and efforts within the context of an established social service. Many people are willing to give of themselves but they do not know where to begin or realize that their interests and abilities match those of an existing organization. The range of stories collected in The Social Cause Diet will reveal that there are achievable, accessible, and satisfying ways for everyone to give.

Go to SocialCauseDiet.com for more information and to see how to submit your story.

Everything Must Change

Best-selling Emergent Christian author Brian McLaren stopped by our DC office recently to discuss his new book Everything Must Change.

In the book, he asks two central questions: what are the world’s top crises and what does the life and teaching of Jesus tell us about those crises? Not surprisingly, hunger, malnutrition, and poverty are at the top of the list. In the book, Brian lays out an incredible theory about how these global crises intersect and shows how the message of Jesus is ultimately the guide to helping us “change everything.”

Brian is hosting some incredible interactive events across the country with the release of this book. Check them out at www.deepshift.org.

You can also hear his interview on the most recent edition of breadcast.

And, there’s still time to enter our contest to win a limited edition Bread for the World iPod Nano! Give us your feedback on the podcast today by emailing breadcast@bread.org. The winner will be announced on the next edition of breadcast.

"...and on that farm he read the newspaper..."

The farm bill and its related issues continue to make headlines, welcome news that awareness is still being generated about how much hunger, nutrition and real, everyday people are affected by this critically important piece of legislation.

The unwelcome news is that the farm bill and these issues are still in the news because in its current form the bill is directly (negatively) exacerbating the global food economy as well as American families' abilities to keep enough, nutritious food on the table in the coming years (not what we need while already headed for recession).

First up - the writers of this New York Times article forgot to check last week's Op-Eds, because they fail to fully explain what they mean when they say "farmers are flourishing."  In the context of this article, they mean that farmers who receive commodity payments (i.e. for only growing corn, wheat, soy, rice and/or cotton) are flourishing due to the spike in world prices/demand for these commodities and the fact that they still are paid hand over fist by the farm bill for growing just these things.  Millions of small and specialty farmers in this country are left out.

As the Washington Post rightly points out in a perfectly timed editorial today, there is no reason billions of dollars should continue to go to these large farmers in such a boon time when millions of poor and hungry families could use boosts in the nutrition programs to help them cope with the rising costs of basic food needs.  If you're a regular reader of this blog/Bread materials, you'll know that the Senate already DID approve caps on commodity payments, etc, but they were stopped short by the actions of Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, etc, as the editorial also points out.

Finally, none other than Bread for the World President David Beckmann also had an Op-Ed published in the Washington Times on Thursday.  He highlights in powerful language all that could be done to improve the farm bill still and that Congress has it within its power to see some of these economically pragmatic (and stimulating) and morally just decisions done the right way.

Fired up about the injustices and opportunities still before Congress on the farm bill after reading all of that?  Read what actions you can take HERE.
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P.S. On a more personal note, I'm struck by this quote from the New York Times article on grain shortages: 

“Everyone wants to eat like an American on this globe,” said Daniel W. Basse of the AgResource Company, a Chicago consultancy. “But if they do, we’re going to need another two or three globes to grow it all.”

Last time I checked, for those who can manage we have a bit of an over-eating problem in this country.  Our portions and the kinds of things we eat proportionally to what we should be eating are grotesque, by and large - either in the restaurant or in the home.  I'm not holding anything against Mr. Basse here.  In truth, he's actually pointing out that we (as Americans) in our bounty set a bar for the rest of the world that's impossible to emulate from a resource standpoint.  Even though we're a world of plenty, the 'American Dream' of a two-car garage and Golden Corrals at every intersection is entirely unsustainable for 6 billion people - and unnecessary for us all to live healthy, "normal" lives and still share the planet equitably.

Interested in an estimate of your "global footprint"?  Click here for a fascinating test of "how many Earths we would need" if we all lived like you.  Last time I checked, I think I was at about 4.5.  Ouch!

How to Lose a Trip to D.C. in 10 Days

Quick answer: By not applying to be a Hunger Justice Leader!

 

Longer-ish answer: Good morning, gentle readers.  This is your friendly reminder that coming up in a week and a half (***MARCH 15***), the deadline - for applying to come to Washington, DC this summer for an exciting, expenses paid gathering and training - will come and go.  And we don't want you to miss it! 

If you're between the ages of 18 and 35, this will be a great opportunity, if selected, to deepen and enhance your commitment to activism and hunger issues, all while connecting, engaging and worshiping with your peers and premier experts on said issues and policies and such.

And while 10 days is a good amount of time, the application does need a personal statement and a recommendation, so start to... APPLY TODAY!

(P.S. Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey not included.)

Way Down in the Hole...Wheat

A few articles popped up this weekend related to hunger and nutrition, both domestically and abroad.  All are worth reading, reflecting and commenting on, so let's get started, beginning with the local and working our way outwards.

My Forbidden Fruits (and Vegetables) - This Op-Ed is currently the most emailed article of the day over at the New York Times...and with good reason.  Written by a farmer, it outlines the vast lapses in logic of the American commodity support system from the vantage point of a small farmer...and many like him around the country...how growers of produce are not only not supported, but lose their payments for their commodity crops if they even try to diversify!  And much more - I know you may be sick of 'farm bill-ness' after all we've gone through in the past year - but this directly affects your local farmer's markets...and your dinner plate!

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Paging Mr. Prez...

Free Lunch Isn't Cool, So Some Students Go Hungry - As lower-income students in this country move beyond elementary school to the more social-status conscious confines of middle school and beyond...school systems are finding that some students will just as soon go without so as not to appear unable to 'provide for themselves' amongst their peers.  The article also highlights approaches some school systems are taking to combat the trend - students who eat are obviously healthier, but also learn better.

You know what else isn't cool?  35 million people - including 13 million children - going hungry in the U.S.

(Also, bonus points for whoever can tell me who that is in the picture above and why it relates)

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Finally, Soaring Food Prices Putting U.S. Emergency Aid in Peril - an article highlighting the effects that the biofuel movement, upward mobility by millions in China and India, and other factors are having on the world's ability to provide food aid to crisis areas of hunger, peril and starvation.  In some cases, extremely difficult decisions are going to be made soon about where to cut back and reduce aid, even as  hunger threatens to increase in these areas. 

Unfortunately it won't let me embed this one, but for video goodness on the same story, the BBC has it covered on YouTube.

Cheerio!

If bread could talk and all of you could listen...

We'd call it something like a 'breadcast'.  If only bread could talk...oh wait...

Give us feedback on 'breadcast' and win a Bread for the World iPod Nano(!)

We released an especially excellent breadcast yesterday. It features excerpts from Bono’s historic speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, an interview on the Millennium Development Goals with Eric Muñoz of the Bread for the World Institute, music from Opiyo Bilongo and Extra Golden and reminds listeners that the deadline for applying to be a Hunger Justice Leader is fast approaching.

And, we invited listeners to give us feedback on the podcast by sending us an email telling us what you’ve enjoyed and what else you’d like to hear to breadcast@bread.org. One lucky podcast listener who gives us feedback will win their very own limited edition iPod Nano with the words “Have Faith. End Hunger.” engraved on the back. So, be sure and send us your thoughts today!

You can listen here on your computer, or better yet, just search Bread for the World on iTunes and subscribe to the podcast for free. Then you’ll automatically receive breadcast each month!