Leo Lionni’s ‘Fish is Fish’ (published 1970)
Yikes. I have some stuff to tell you. Did you know, that in the last 20 years hunting and commercial fishing (amongst other influences) have caused MASSIVE changes in certain hunted and fished creatures? Did you know that in just twenty years we’ve managed to influence not only the number of animals that exist, but also the size they can grow to and the age they begin reproducing? Did you know that?! It’s not good news.
Some animals are now 20% smaller in body size (as smaller animals are not as desirable to hunters, and smaller fish can wriggle out of nets more easily) and they mate 25% younger then they used to (to ensure survival of their species). You can read more about this here – if you are a non-vegetarian (which I am, although I rarely eat meat) you might want to consider the points about leaving the big, healthy creatures alone and favouring smaller ones.
In other ethical eating news, yesterday I overheard the tail end of an amazing interview on the Radio. Libbi Gorr was talking to a guest (I’m not sure who he was, but he was clever!) about Human Rights and cocoa farming on the Ivory Coast. He outlined the horrible links chocolate production has to child abuse, kidnapping and slavery (amongst other things).
But you can do something to help! World Vision’s ‘Don’t Trade Lives’ campaign is highlighting these issues – and advising you, the chocolate enjoying consumer, how to make a difference. They advise a pro-active, positive approach (and discourage you from boycotting your favourite chocolate for fear of causing further hardship to struggling African families) – you can view their Fair Trade and Ethical Chocolate Buying Guide here. And then you can buy right.
If the chocolate you love is NOT fair trade or ethical, you might consider sending a letter to the manufacturer stating your feelings about this. World Vision suggests the following statements – but you should write what you feel.
- I want to be able to enjoy chocolate knowing that exploitative labour has not been used in its production. Please commit to tackling the root causes of child labour in cocoa production.
- Children belong in school! Ensure fair pricing of cocoa for farmers so that they are not forced to used children and family members in cocoa harvesting.
- Cocoa communities need your help. Please invest and support cocoa farming communities to develop basic services such as health services, adequate water and sanitation and education for children and adults.
(If the chocolate you buy IS ethically produced, then why don’t you congratulate the manufacturer with a letter or an email too?!)
If this has struck a chord with you, you can listen to an interview with journalist Carol Off here. She wrote a great book exposing the dark history and heart-breaking impact of chocolate production. You can buy it online here or order it from your local independent bookseller.
Thank you. I am off my soapbox for the day now and off to eat some leftover Panzanella and look at my freshly sprouted bok choy seeds and drink coffee and think about stuff!
xx Pip
It’s so easy to forget that our little choices can have big impact – like you say in your post, don’t just stop buying in case THAT impacts a small family, too!
I’ve become so conscious of these decisions, ethical impacts and environmental, and sometimes it amazes me (and yet at the same time it doesn’t, because it can be very overwhelming) that people choose to remain ignorant to the impact their consumerism can have.
re chocolate: you know similarly coffee has a similar history, yeah?
Yes, it’s all about choices. I totally agree! Choose smaller fish! And smaller animals! And you’ll have a smaller bottom! And the world will be a better place too!
Only today I saw this
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jan/14/food-foodanddrink
Fish is good and we need to keep eating it (for the fishermen and other industries that need our money) but make better choices about what fish we eat.
It’s true! When you actually think about where our food, especially meat, fish and dairy, chocolate, coffee etc, comes from, it’s kinda scary… Definitely has made me be more conscious about my choices… Good post!
this is so important! thanks for writing about it Pip. i need reminders sometimes.
i only buy Fair Trade choc. it’s such an easy thing to do. i like Cocolo and Scarborough Fair (both available at Coles). some flavours are better than others though!