Green Halloween

Did you know that you can help the environment by trick-or-treating? But there's a trick: You have to do it backwards.

This Halloween, turn the holiday into an opportunity to educate kids and adults alike about the benefits of sustainably produced chocolate. Join trick-or-treaters in the United States and Canada to continue Global Exchange's environmental campaign of reverse trick-or-treating.

Here's how it works: Instead of simply going door-to-door to amass huge quantities of candy, kids will also hand out samples of Fair Trade chocolate to the houses they visit and distribute information to adults about the current unfortunate state of the cocoa industry.

Global Exchange began this practice last year as a way to promote sustainable cocoa-farming practices and to get kids and adults thinking about how the candy they eat and distribute throughout the year has a global impact. Unsustainable chocolate has a wide-range of negative impacts, from water contamination to forced child labor. Consumers can say no to unfair, polluting and harmful farming practices by purchasing sustainable products instead.

Farming cocoa takes up 18 million acres of tropical land and involves the work of 40 million people. To grow cocoa sustainably and traditionally, some farmers plant underneath the shade of native canopy trees. Preserving the forest keeps the habitat safe for threatened plants and animals, including predators of cocoa pests.

But much of the cocoa that is produced around the world is grown using unsustainable farming practices. Many farmers have cut down forests to clear the way for growing new hybrid cocoa varieties more intensively. Chopping down shade trees hurts the environment and increases the need for pesticide use, despite its ability to ramp up cocoa production in the short-term. 
Increased chemical use, combined with creating new open fields, lead to increased soil erosion and water run-off. As a consequence, soil becomes less fertile over time and the chemical-laden run-off ends up contaminating the water supply, causing health problems for those who drink from it.

There's a better way. Sustainable cocoa farming uses native plants - not hybrids - and preserves the shady forest habitat underneath which cocoa can thrive without the use of pesticides.

The goal of reverse trick-or-treating is to educate consumers about the power they have to end poverty among cocoa farmers, stop forced child labor in the chocolate industry and protect the environment by choosing Fair Trade chocolate over mainstream brands. Reverse trick-or-treating also gives kids a chance to become activists in the global community. Making a difference for the environment can be as enjoyable as trick-or-treating.

Another way for kids to give back this Halloween is to trick-or-treat for UNICEF. Fundraising for UNICEF while trick-or-treating will help kids in other parts of the world by providing them with water, education and medicine they need. Kids can make their own colorful donation canisters or order them through the UNICEF website, and send in the collected funds after Halloween.

So how do you know whether or not the chocolate you buy is made sustainably? Check out the label. Here are some handy definitions so you know what the labels mean:

USDA Organic: Cocoa with a USDA Organic label is produced without antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, irradiation or bioengineering. Organic cocoa farmers must adhere to soil and water conservation methods.

Fair Trade: Cocoa crops with this certification meet strict economic, social and environmental criteria both in their production and trade. That includes fair pricing, humane labor conditions, environmental sustainability and other regulations. Read more about Fair Trade Certified.

Rainforest Alliance Certified: This chocolate has met strict guidelines to protect the environment, wildlife, workers and local communities. Certification offers cocoa growers guidance on efficient production practices that will preserve resources and do not negatively impact local communities or the environment, including reduced pesticide use. More on the Rainforest Alliance.

Visit the Global Exchange website and sign up to reverse trick-or-treat with your child this Halloween. The deadline for individuals to order their kits is October 13.	When shopping for your Halloween candy this year, think about giving out chocolate you can be sure comes from sustainable growing practices.  Look for USDA Organic, Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance Certified products.	Spread the word about reverse trick-or-treating through organizing a group of families in your community to participate together. Global Exchange provides reverse trick-or-treating kits to groups and schools who want to get involved.

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