Bitter Chocolate

I recently heard about the unfair conditions that many people experience to bring us chocolate and it’s left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Chocolate comes from the cocoa bean. Most of the world’s cocoa is grown in West Africa – predominantly the Ivory Coast, and then Ghana, Nigeria and the Cameroon. The conditions for those working on cocoa farms are often terrible; poverty is extreme, hours long and tasks unsafe. In the Ivory Coast children and young men are also being sold or tricked into slavery. Child slaves are forced to work long hours, are underfed and kept in inhuman conditions – often locked in at night so they can’t run away.

Bitter Ingredients
A small number of multinational corporations control the cocoa market, exploiting the need of poor farmers to have an income – once the crop is grown a low price is better that no price. Exporters compete for sales by offering the lowest prices so that farmers inevitably have to pay their workers low wages. Cash cropping has replaced the diverse and locally sustaining farming of the past. This has resulted in the population being dependent on earning money from international markets, removing the independence of communities, and vulnerability of economic collapse due to natural disasters, pests and crop disease.

The Sweeter Side
Fair-trade cooperatives have been set up for cocoa growing in a number of countries. Fair-trade certification guarantees a fair price for cocoa and that workers receive a fair wage. It forbids the use of slave labour or children working if it interferes with their education or in dangerous conditions. Furthermore, money is paid to invest in developing the community and schools. We can buy fair-trade chocolate from Trade Aid and some health food stores.

Kick the Carbon Habit

On June 5, 2008 NZ hosted World Environment Day in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The theme was climate change with a focus on moving towards a low carbon economy and lifestyle. "Kick the Habit" (the carbon habit) was the international slogan for the event.

I have since been prompted to think more seriously about decreasing my “carbon footprint” and about how good a steward I am of creation entrusted to us. Here are some of the many small ‘no regrets’ choices UNEP suggests will together reduce our daily emissions from say 38kg to 14kg!

*Wake up with a traditional wind-up alarm clock rather than the beep of an electronic one – save almost 48g of CO2 each day

*Choose to dry clothes on a washing line instead of in a tumbler dryer – a daily carbon diet of 2.3kg of CO2

*Replace a 45 minute workout on a treadmill with a jog in a nearby park – save nearly 1kg of the main greenhouse gas

*Opt for a non-electric toothbrush – avoid nearly 48g of CO2 emissions

*Leave your hair to dry naturally rather than blow drying it

*Heat bread rolls in a toaster versus an oven for 15 minutes – save nearly 170g of CO2

*Switch from regular 60W light bulbs to energy-saving ones – produce 4x less greenhouse gas emissions

*Take the train rather than the car for a daily commute - as little as 8km will save 1.7kg of CO2

*Shut down your computer and flat screen both during lunch break and after working hours – cut CO2 emissions by one third

*Invest in a water saving shower head – save 10L of water per minute and slash CO2 emissions resulting from a 3 minute hot shower by half

*Turn down the thermostat – lowering the temperature of a 90 sq m apartment by just a couple of degrees saves 6% in energy and energy bills

*Review your refrigerator - a 150L refrigerator with a freezer that is A++ rated emits over 130g less in CO2 than an A- rated one

Carter Kitchen

Mum redeemed her Mother's Day voucher today to dine at "Carter Kitchen" with Patrick, Fleur and I cooking for her at Paddy's pad on Carter Road, Mangawhai. We served venison, cockles, beef, lamb and vegies all hunted, gathered, farmed or grown by the three of us! Dad is now the official Mangawhai Table Tennis champion!

Mulqueen Family

Wayne's parents are in town this week, visiting from the South Island :) Last night we feasted together at one of our fav restaurants DonDon Rikka behind the Olympic Pool in Newmarket.

Bay of Islands

We took the media out into the Bay of Islands on Dolphin Discoveries. Unfortunately we didn't see any dolphins (**the trip does come with a lifetime dolphin viewing guarantee), but we did see some New Zealand fur seals, some blue penguins, gannets and other birdlife. It was superb weather - sunny and calm - for us as we went out to Cape Brett and through the Hole in the Rock. I reminisced about Wayne proposing to me over the hill from the lighthouse! x

Stunning

Check out these sand dunes in the Hokianga! ...

Motuti Marae

I've been out of town hosting international journalists and photographers visiting New Zealand to celebrate World Environment Day and Matariki - Maori New Year. We took 14 of them to Northland for the weekend, and spent a wonderful afternoon at Motuti Marae on the northern shores of the Hokianga Harbour across from Opononi. We were warmly welcomed onto their living marae with a traditional powhiri in their fully carved meeting house. We greeted each other with hongi (touching noses), mihi (greetings) and waita (songs). After sharing afternoon tea together they performed kapa haka for us and gave us demonstrations with poi and flax weaving.

We had the unusual privilege of being there for the burial of one of their baby's whenua (afterbirth)! A tree was planted over it as the baby was prayed for.

Kiwi Feather Cloak

Last week I re-visited Maori Treasures at Waiwhetu Marae in Lower Hutt with Flat Earth Tours. Maori Treasures is the culmination of the dreams and life work of Rangi Hetet and his late wife Erenora Puketapu Hetet. We walked through a series of studios where different Maori arts and crafts were demonstrated. It was moving to have this kiwi feather cloak placed over my shoulders - usually confined to glass cabinets.

“It will be one of the mokopuna who has the heart, the passion and the commitment to continue on with Maori Treasures. That is the only way that our taonga will remain in the whanau and not be lost or sold.” Rangi Hetet

Cluster Sunday

On June 1 St Paul's had "Cluster Sunday." Instead of gathering together for our usual celebration at Symonds St, we met in Clusters (4-5 small groups) at different locations across Auckland. Different Cluster activities included a walk and lunch at Piha, a film festival movie, a mid-winter Sunday roast, mini-putt, a soak at Waiwera hot pools... Restore Cluster which Wayne and I belong to headed an hour out of Auckland to Grahams Beach on the Awhitu Peninsula for great fair trade coffee, warm winter soup and bread for lunch, a yummy afternoon tea, a walk along the beach, good conversation, and an afternoon snooze!

Mother's Day

The family squeezed into our place for nabe to celebrate Mother's Day. We cooked two flavours... one with fish stock to dip into a sesame sauce, and another packed with kimuchi to make it hot and spicey.