Organic Honest Tea Yearly Sales Match Coke's 9 Minutes

We occasionally drink Honest Tea because it is readily available in gas stations and health food stores alike. Recently, my daughter read an interesting statistic inside her Honest Tea lid:

Last year, Honest Tea sold 7,998,654 bottles of tea. This the same amount of Coke sold in 9 minutes.

She was blown away by this statistic, and it really shows how even a quasi-mainstream product like Honest Tea nowhere comes close to a giant like Coca-Cola. Of course, Honest Tea was only launched in 1998, and it somewhat ironic they would include such a quote when in 2008, "The Coca-Cola Company purchased 40 percent of Honest Tea". Hmm, maybe that's why we are seeing it convenience stores now.

Cadbury Workers Unite Against Kraft's Hostile Takeover

The parent company of my favorite organic, fair trade chocolate Green & Black is involved in a hostile takeover by Kraft. Workers at Cadbury have united in a Keep Cadbury Independent Campaign. Food Biz Daily explains:

Cadbury workers are to launch a bid to keep the UK confectioner independent and fend off a hostile bid by Kraft...

Unite is also contacting all Cadbury shareholders to urge them to reject Kraft's bid.

The union said it will highlight what it claims to be "Kraft's plan to pay for the company through massive borrowing, Kraft's poor record in takeovers and falling share value and the union's concerns that Kraft will move all investment decisions out of the UK and into the Kraft boardroom overseas".

I certainly don't want Kraft in charge of making my favorite chocolate! I hope the Cadbury workers are successful in blocking this hostile takeover.

Will Banana Price Wars in Europe Hurt Poor Growers in Developing Countries?

I have often questioned the sustainability of a world hooked on bananas, and this tropical fruit is certainly not on the menu for locavores living in the Northern Hemisphere. Now, a banana price war is happening in Europe causing the fruit to sell for the cheapest price in 14 years. The Guardian explains the concern that the banana price war will hurt farmers in developing countries:

It is feared consumers will come to expect the rock-bottom prices and the cost will eventually be passed on to growers in developing countries...A Waitrose spokeswoman said: "The principle of providing fair and sustainable returns to all our growers is at the heart of how we do business. All our bananas are Fairtrade and, if others choose to start a price war, we'll make sure that our customers don't lose out. But none of the cost of cutting the price will be passed on to our growers because we want to help them build secure and viable businesses for the future."

So why have grocers started a "pointless" banana price war?

Sweet Organic Baby Clothes by Hessnatur

We've been fortunate enough to review beautiful natural fiber clothing by Hessnatur before, now we have discovered their organic baby apparel line! Super sweet, soft, and adorable, Hessnatur's organic baby line means everyone in the family can dress in eco-fashion. Hessnatur is always fair trade, organic, and sustainable, which is exactly what baby deserves against their fresh, delicate skin.

What our clothes are made of and with

• Pure, natural fibers- organic whenever possible. Made from renewable resources: Vegetable (cotton, linen, hemp, ramie); Animal (wool, specialty wools such as angora, cashmere, alpaca, mohair, yak; silk).

• No PVC or Teflon, anywhere.

• Natural materials for buttons, like ivory nut, wood, horn, or mother-of-pearl

• Trims and linings are made from natural fibers, usually 100% organic cotton or 100% natural silk

• Any metals used for zippers, buckles and buttons are nickel- and chrome-free.  Other materials are only used for these accessories in the rare cases when natural materials or metals are not functional enough.

• Our only exceptions: we sometimes use up to 8% of elastane/spandex for the stretch in some lingerie and socks. All the spandex we use is covered in cotton so no synthetic touches your skin.

What our clothes aren't made of or with

• Synthetic fibers: made from chemical substances derived from petroleum, like nylon, polyester or acrylic

• Regenerated fibers: chemically treated and re-processed fibers made from natural materials that cannot be used for textiles in their original form, like viscose, modal and acetate. Their manufacturing causes significant water and power usage.

• Azo dyes which can give off dangerous, carcinogenic and mutagenic amines

• Dyes and dye procedures that include toxic heavy metals, which are known carcinogens

• Optical brighteners, which are probable allergens

• Chemical finishes, such as moth-proofing, anti-microbial, easy-care, wrinkle-free finishes, made with synthetic resins

• Chlorine bleach, which harms the environment

Hessnatur also offers maternity clothes from moms to be! I wish I would have had these organic maternity clothes during my pregnancies!  Unborn babies deserve the best against mommy's skin too! 

Green Fashion Giveaway Winner! Indigenous Designs Fair Trade Clothing for the Whole Family

Congratulations Sherri B. for winning our Green Fashion Giveaway: Indigenous Designs Fair Trade Clothing for the Whole Family! We hope you enjoy your kid's fair trade organic Daisy Dress. Thank you to Indigenous Designs for partnering with Really Natural on this green fashion giveaway!

Green Fashion Giveaway: Indigenous Designs Fair Trade Clothing for the Whole Family

I love clothes, especially fair trade, organic pieces. Recently, I discovered Indigenous Designs. Since 1994, Indigenous Designs has been making fair trade clothing, and you have a chance to win apparel from this eco-friendly line!

Together, Scotty and Matt have helped form a scalable artisan network through the Indigenous clothing line that reflects a commitment to sustainability and socially responsible actions. This global collaboration weaves together the employees of Indigenous, the artisans from around the world, and most importantly you, our customers.

We are committed to:

• Supporting and preserving fair trade wages and artisan cooperatives


• Investing in natural and organic fibers and environmentally-friendly dyes


• Spreading the beauty of handmade, eco fashion

One of my favorite pieces in the women's line is the double layer skirt. This skirt is made from 100% organic cotton jersey material, low impact dyes, and is so comfortable! Of course, it is fair trade (not free trade) from Peru.  I will be living in this skirt this summer, and you could win one too!

Green Fashion Indigenous Designs Giveaway!
To enter:

• Visit the Indigenous Designs website


• Pick a piece you love


• Return to Really Natural and leave a comment to this post about the piece.

Entries must be dated before Monday, June 15 at 11:59 PM. Good luck!

Organic Women's Fashion: "World in Your Hand" Tee Shirt by HessNatur

Last fall, we reviewed a lovely, natural fiber sweater by Hessnatur. This summer, we've discovered the "World in Your Hand" organic t-shirt by Hessnatur. The incredible design was drawn by Miguel Adrover. This organic, fair trade shirt is made by Grameen Knitwear in Bangladesh. Hessnatur pays a 40% bonus over fair purchase price and donates 25% from the sale of each "World in Your Hand" shirt to the rural education project of the Grameen Foundation.

Short sleeved top. With narrow sleeves and generously wide neckline. Figure hugging to emphasize the feminine silhouette. Made in Bangladesh from biologically controlled fabric under socially fair conditions. Makes its mark, not just because of the symbolic logo: "The world in your hand". Exclusively drawn by Miguel Adrover.

Hessnatur was founded 32 years ago by environmentalist Heinz Hess. The company's mission states: "Human beings should live in harmony with each other and with nature. Respect for the planet and its people is fundamental to the way we do business, interact with our customers, our partners and each other. We will not compromise our environmental integrity or our design aesthetics."

Sukispa 100% Pure Cosmeceutical Skin Prescriptions Organic Treatments

Sukispa is a new line of five advanced, cosmeceutical grade skin prescriptions that are 100% natural from Suki Pure.

The new sukispa™ treatments - renewal bio-resurfacing facial peel, targeted bio-brightening face serum, bio-active purifying face serum, bio-C 10% formula face serum and facial lift ultimate firming cream are packed with organic actives like cranberry glycolic aha, pumpkin enzymes, goldenseal extract, apple enzymes, tetrapeptide-9 and resveratrol to exfoliate damaged skin cells, decongest pores, even skintone, improve firmness and dramatically improve the over all health of the skin. And of course, not one trace of synthetics, gmo's, fragrances, lake colors or chemical preservatives will ever be found in any of the suki® formulations.

My favorite Sukispa products are:

• facial lift ultimate firming cream: uses high performing antioxidants like green tea and olive leaf to improve visible signs of aging, such as wrinkles, loss of firmness, and/or uneven tone and reoccurring dryness.
• bio-C 10% formula face serum: oil-free serum supports collagen production & helps reduce future signs of aging using time-released vitamin c glucoside.
• sensitive cleansing bar: fair trade shea butter and 100% organic ingredients makes this vegan body bar effectively clean, soften and awaken your skin and senses.
  

ECOBAGS are Perfect for the Farmer's Market

Did you know that just one reusable bag eliminates the use of 1,000 plastic bags per year? ECOBAGS makes several natural and certified organic, recycled cotton and cotton/hemp blend reuseable bags. All ECOBAGS are made with fair wage/fair labor practices. My favorite bags are the Classic String Market Bags and the Lunch Bags, which I like to use as a produce bag. I am an avid farmers' market shopper, and it defeats the purpose of local shopping to accept a plastic bag made thousands of miles away from the farmer, besides the environmental impact. ECOBAGS has been in business for 19 years and is a member of Co-Op America, the Organic Trade Association, and the Women's Business Enterprise National Council.

The Zah Collection: Go Organic with Go Natural Baby

Certified organic, fair trade, low impact dyes: what could be better? Go Natural Baby offers such eco-goodness in its Zah Collection of children's clothing. I got the Paloma dress for my niece. The simple design and silk-like organic jersey cotton fabric is perfect for warm temperatures, as well as can be layered with a long sleeve onesie or t-shirt for cooler Fall temperatures. Since my children are growing up too quickly, I am glad to see that Zah Collection will soon offer select styles in sizes up to eight.

Go Natural Baby espouses corporate social responsibility:

Go Natural Baby™ will only put our name on products that are made with Fair Trade values, including providing a healthy work environment for its workers, paying a fair wage, and ensuring that children are not in the work environment. Each year a portion of our profits will be given to the people that work in the factory, fields, and/or the school in our factory's village.

Eco-friendly and corporate social responsibility must go hand-in-hand for green companies. I am proud to support Go Natural Baby.

Eco Food Friday: The Absolute Best Organic Chocolate in the World

Green and Black's Organic Milk Chocolate Bar with Whole Almonds is absolutely the best chocolate I have ever tasted, and I consider myself a connoisseur of organic chocolate (aka a chocolate junkie).

Ingredients: Soy Lecithin, Organic Vanilla. Organic Raw Cane Sugar, Organic Almonds (25%) Organic Whole Milk Powder (20.2%), Organic Cocoa Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter, Emulsifier

Green and Black's motto is "As Chocolate as Humanly Possible", which means of course, they use fair trade ingredients. In fact, the company was the first to earn the UK's Fairtrade mark.

SLO Chai Fair Trade Organic Green Tea Now Available Online

Our friend Alison moved to CA last year and has been working on marketing for SLO Chai Fair Trade Organic Tea. When we told her about Really Natural, she offered to send along some samples of SLO Chai's products. We loved 'em, and wanted to blog about them. But at the time, they were only available at select grocery stores and farmers markets on the West Coast.

Well, good news, tea drinkers. SLO Chai has launched a new website, which includes an online store.

SLO Chai offers teabags, loose teas and other chai-inspired foods and beverages made with fair trade tea and organic ingredients. The company was founded three years ago by Joel Pace and his family to recreate the sweet, spicy chai he tasted while trekking in the Himalayas.

Today, SLO Chai sells not only Pace's original blend, but several varieties including Vanilla Spice Latte, 5 flavors of teabags, loose leaf teas, and Chai Cream Ale. All are made with high quality fair trade and organic-certified ingredients. We especially like their decaffeinated black tea and green tea blends, as well as their chai chocolates!

SLO Chai is a green business, paying close attention to the ecological and social impact of their company, and donating 1% of profits toward sustainability education.

Hooray! Fair Trade chai for everyone!

Available at SLO Chai.

Weekend Reading: Fair Trade: A Beginner's Guide

Speaking of Fair Trade Month, why not pick up a copy of Fair Trade: A Beginner's Guide by Jacqueline Decarlo. Here's the description from Amazon:

Grounded in the inspiring power of Fair Trade as a positive alternative to poverty, environmental destruction, and human exploitation, this enlightening book explains how we can make a difference. Providing an accessible explanation of the principles behind the movement and tracing its development into the powerful economic and social justice tool it is today.

Available at Fair Trade: A Beginner's Guide.

Celebrate Fair Trade Month: Roast Your Own Coffee

October is Fair Trade Month. And what better way to celebrate Fair Trade Month than by roasting your own fair trade coffee beans.

This highly rated Gene Cafe Drum Coffee Roaster comes with 9 lbs of fair trade coffee. Done.

Available from Seven Bridges Cooperative.