Have A fair Valentines

Whether you celebrate valentines or not, we can smell flowers and chocolate in the air.  It is important to keep Fair Trade in mind when consuming products like these. If it is expensive, it does not mean that it was ethically sourced. You may just be paying for the packaging or brand.

A lot of the roses come from Columbia or Ecuador at this time of the year, and farm working conditions are often far from being rosy. If there isn’t a label, ask the store manager where the flower or chocolate comes from. There are currently flowers from BC, and this would be the lower-carbon footprint choice. Below are a few places and brands you can start with for Chocolate and flowers.


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Remember that Fair trade flowers and chocolates are not only important during valentines, but all throughout the year. In my experience, it tastes better and closer to home. I know the prices of these tend to be higher, but this way you actually do buy less than the commercial sales that entice you to buy more than you actually need, so at the end of the day, you are being socially, environmentally, and economically responsible. Have a fair valentines everyone!
Shops that sell:

Fair trade/local BC flowers:

• The Root Cellar Green Grocer
• Brown’s Florist

Fair trade chocolate

• Denman Island chocolate
• Camino chocolate
• Pure Lovin Chocolate

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