CHOCOLATE
What to Avoid: Big Brand Names
Several of the world’s biggest brands are facing lawsuits for deceiving consumers into supporting illegal practices, including child labor.
What to buy instead:
Fair trade and direct trade brands including Rogue Chocolatier, Taza Chocolate, Askinosie and Dandelion Chocolate monitor where their products come from.
COFFEE
What to Avoid: K-Cups
The disposable coffee pods are essentially unrecyclable.
What to buy instead:
TOMS, Intelligentsia, Ethical Bean, Blue Tiger and other artisan brands make traditionally brewed coffee through fair trade and direct trade relationships.
JEWELRY
What to Avoid: Gold and Diamonds
“Conflict” gold and diamonds mined using forced labor remain a major problem in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
What to buy instead:
Artisan jewelry makers like Kicheko Goods, Rose & Fitzgerald and The Giving Keys offer products that actually give back to the regions where they are made.
CLOTHES
What to Avoid: Fast Fashion
To keep margins up, inexpensive fashion items are often made in unsafe factories where workers are paid extremely low wages.
What to buy instead:
Brands like Everlane, Tellason, Patagonia and others offer quality products that are made under fair conditions.
