Our mantra here at The Social Eater is “do what you can with what you have.” You might have seen it here before, and you will almost certainly see it again.

It’s a necessary repetition.

In order to intentionally change things for the better, we first have to be impacted with the need for that change. We dig for information, stories, and how-to’s. When we look for it, we find it. It comes in streams and avalanches. The information seems never-ending and we can find ourselves bogged down by just how much needs to change.

So repeat after me: ”Do what you can with what you have.”

It’s the only way to ever really change anything.

Will you hang on to our mantra while I go back to the part about being impacted with the need for change?

I mean it.Please hang tight (or skip over this next part if you’re not yet ready for more information. There’s no judgment here. This is not easy stuff.)

The likelihood that you and I support slavery to get the things we regularly buy is rather high. (Check out Slavery Footprint if you’re interested in a personalized take on this idea.) We “eradicated” slavery in the US over a hundred years ago,  but it is still here. It’s woven into our clothes, our food, our drinks, our electronics and every day household items, but we are not powerless. 

We vote with our dollars every time we spend them.

I’ve seen a lot of petitions asking (sometimes “demanding”) big businesses to convert their practices entirely to fair trade. I’ve signed them and sometimes passed them along.  Signing a petition is not a bad thing; it is an avenue to make  voices heard.

There is a better avenue, though.

Money talks, people.

Did you know that Cadbury offers fair trade options in the UK, Ireland, Japan, Australia, and South Africa, but not in the US? It’s true.

We can say whatever we want, but companies are not going to make a big change, even if it is an ethical one, if they don’t think they will be backed by consumers. I’m not saying it’s right, but I’m not saying it’s completely wrong, either.

What if those companies do make a switch that consumers don’t want? Hundreds or thousands of people, many of whom have families to support, could lose their jobs. Charities and other worthwhile projects could lose funding.

That’s where you and I come in.

We vote. With our dollars.

We make the changes that manufacturers aren’t yet willing to make.

A little at a time, by swapping one food or product we use on a regular basis for a fair trade one.

I’m proposing something to you that is little and at the same time very big: vote. Switch one thing you use that isn’t already to the fair trade version.

There is no need to throw away something you have in order to make the switch. When you run out, or when you find yourself wanting or needing more of the product you have in mind, buy a fair trade version.

Do it this week, if you can.

Then come back here and leave a comment about the switch you made. Your comment is your entry win this week’s giveaway: a bag of 50 fair trade, organic, 55% cacao chocolates.

If you’re looking for ideas on where or what to switch, I have some suggestions.

Clothes: check out Maggie’s Organics.

Body products: Dr. Bronner’s

Sugar: Wholesome Sweeteners

Tea: Equal Exchange

Coffee: Equal Exchange, Grounds for Change, Dean’s Beans

Chocolate: Equal Exchange, Divine Chocolate

AND if you want one more chance to win, link to this giveaway on Facebook, then leave a separate comment telling me you did.

The giveaway will end on Friday, May 4 at 11:59 p.m.EST . Each commenter will have a total of 2 chances to win a total of one set of 50 chocolates. One winner will be chosen via random.org.

We just might spend the year discussing answers to those questions. The term “fair trade” is likely one you will see in every post I publish here, though, so what I mean when I use it is:

• The producers of said product were compensated fairly for their time, effort, and materials involved.
• No child labor involved.
• No indentured servant labor involved.
• No slave labor of any kind.
• Workers are dealt with as directly as possible, cutting out unnecessary overhead and middlemen.
• Community development is required. Producer groups are required to pay premiums that go directly into the community where group members live.
• Producer groups are run democratically, including decisions on how to spend fair trade premiums. (Examples of how premiums might be spent include clean water systems, schools, libraries, organic certification, training, and equipment.)
• Environmental sustainability. Harsh chemicals and GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) are not allowed in fair trade agriculture.

Food should be taken at more than face value.

There’s meaning behind it.

It can be life-giving.

It’s community glue.

My social eating journey began with a few twenty-five cent pieces of incredibly delicious, unforgettable chocolate (the same chocolate you likely sampled if you visited me at Berks County Earth Day).

The chocolate you and I tasted came from a small fair trade farmer cooperative  that is all about quality of life for the workers and they communities they live in. Food produced by small farmers also tends to be higher in quality than mass-produced products, so it contributes to the quality of the life of the consumer, as well.

Everybody wins.

I know sometimes we just want to go out for coffee with a friend, grab a chocolate bar, stop in for a donut, make a grocery trip, or go out to eat without devoting lots of time to researching the best options out there.

That’s where The Social Eater comes in; that’s part of the goal. This year is dedicated to exploring where, why, and how to make the best choices for us, the environment, and everyone involved in getting products that make it into our mouths and our homes. Some of this exploration is simpler than it looks, and some is more complicated.

I hope we can turn this into a dialogue.

I’ll be posting every Monday. I’m excited for our conversations!

Do what you can with what you have where you are. 

-Theodore Roosevelt

That, my friends, is what we’re going to do together this year. We’ll be putting our perspectives and ideas + my research (I love to research!) together to do what we can to make life something better, more whole and more beautiful for all of us. 

Thank you so much for stopping in during the grand opening of The Social Eater.

I’m so glad you did.

Share your name and your favorite chocolate in the comments!