Poverty and hunger go hand-in-hand. Hunger increases susceptibility to disease, impedes learning and leaves a person weak and unable to work—and without the means to buy or produce nourishing food.

Programs offering skills training, microloans and seed banks for replanting work to break the cycle of poverty and hunger.

Photo credit: Paul Jeffrey/UMCOR.

Did you know that:

• One child dies of hunger every 5 seconds?
• Hunger affects more than 840 million people worldwide. More than 300 million of these people are in Africa?
• Southern Africa is often plagued by crop failures, food shortages and famine resulting from prolonged drought?

Global Impact member charities, including Freedom from Hunger, Heifer International, Oxfam America, TechnoServe, ECHO, Church World Service and United Methodist Committee on Relief, teach farmers techniques to increase their crop and livestock yields.

They provide low-interest microloans that allow farmers to expand their crops; establish rural cooperatives; and support fair trade practices that help farmers compete and directly increase their incomes.

Your gift of $100 can help ten families to receive seeds, seedlings, saplings and chicks—and the necessary training—to start a homestead garden and to cultivate fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin A and other micro-nutrients.

Global Impact is dedicated to helping the poorest people on Earth. Representing more than 50 of the most respected U.S.-based international charities in giving campaigns across the nation, Global Impact touches more than 400 million lives worldwide through disaster relief, education, health training and economic programs that promote self-sufficiency.

This guest-post is brought to you by Joanna.

We all love chocolate.

And we love to give – and receive – chocolate for Valentines. It’s big business: Valentines Day accounts for something like 12% of all chocolate sales in the US. An estimated 36 million heart shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold.

But does chocolate come in a heart shaped business as well as a heart shaped box?

Image credit: Stewart Butterfield.

The chocolate business does have a dark side. Millions of families whose livelihoods depend on cocoa production live in extreme poverty. Income from the crop is unstable depending on fluctuations in the global market. The price the farmer might not even cover the cost of production. There are concerns about working conditions including unsafe working conditions, use of pesticides and child slavery in some parts of the world.

But if that’s leaving a bitter taste in your mouth – never fear. There is a positive alternative and it’s called Fair Trade.

As an introduction to what Fair Trade’s all about, here are 14 reasons to love Fair Trade Chocolate this Valentines:

1. Fair Trade cocoa farmers receive a minimum price to cover the cost of sustainable production
2. Fair Trade schemes help families out of the poverty trap when the market price is often below the cost of production
3. A stable income means dignity as well as security
4. A premium is paid for social and economic development in the community (schools, wells etc)
5. Fair Trade schemes offer access to affordable credit, so small businesses can develop
6. Safe worker conditions are guaranteed
7. Fair Trade prohibits abusive child labour
8. Fair Trade guarantees environmentally sustainable methods of production
9. Cocoa is one of the most environmentally friendly of tropical crops
10. It’s an independent consumer label – protecting your rights and interests too
11. Fair Trade gives you - the consumer - the chance to make a difference
12. There are lots of fantastic Fair Trade chocolate products – and recipes - to try
13. It’s a guilt-free way to enjoy chocolate
14. It might just open the door to love – check the following video (1 min 23 sec)!

Recommended reads:

• What is Fairtrade?
• Make trade fair
• Dignity for cocoa farmers
• Fairtrade, chocolate and cocoa
• The chocolate industry
• Treehugger: The bitter truth about chocolate

Some examples of suppliers – and delicious recipes!

• Global exchange list of Fair Trade companies
• Nutty Chocolate and Coffee Brownies

Joanna Young writes at the Confident Writing blog where she coaches people to realise the power of their own words.

This post was published @ PlanetThoughts not too long ago.

Not too long ago, I asked “What’s the most “ungreen” thing that you do?” and today, I’d like to ask what is the most recent “green” thing that you have done :D

Image credits: 1. West recycles, 2. Grand Street: Texting, 3. img_3376, 4. 100_0783

Did you recently:

• clean your toilet with natural ingredients such as vinegar, baking soda, etc.?
• switch off the electrical appliances after using them?
• remove the stain from your shirt using eco-friendly stain removal ingredients?
• switch off the toilet/bedroom light when you left?
• call up the catalog companies and request that they remove you from all mailing lists?
• buy a 100% CFC-free refrigerator?
• install CFL light bulbs in your house?
• ride the bicycle to work?
• use your cloth bag for grocery shopping?
• talk to somebody, e.g. your neighbour, siblings, friends about recycling?