In the News

China's besieged factories: Activists aim to expose unscrupulous labor practices to shame companies

Atlanta Journal-Constitution
02/14/2007

For each 60-hour week he works on an assembly line for Foxconn, a manufacturer of electronics and computer parts in this south China manufacturing hub, he earns $32 and a bunk in a dormitory room with 19 other laborers.

At the factory, managers forbid workers from talking or resting outside of two 10-minute breaks, he said.

Wal-Mart Workers Speak Out

Bend Weekly News Source
02/14/2007

Excerpt from article:

“Our Community First” updates residents on local opposition to a proposed Bend Wal-Mart SuperCenter, Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.

Wal-Mart workers from three countries will speak out on what they believe is “the high cost of low prices” -- and Ann Wheeler, a local community activist, will provide an update on local opposition to a proposed Wal-Mart SuperCenter in Bend.

Valentine’s Day: Labor Conditions at US-Owned Plantations Show Hidden Realities of Flower Industry

Democracy Now
02/14/2007

Today is Valentine's Day. Chocolate, flowers, diamonds. How can gifts that bring so much happiness have come from so much pain? We begin our coverage with a look at the flower industry. Nora Ferm of the International Labor Rights Fund talks about a new report on labor conditions at US-owned flower plantations in Colombia and Ecuador. We’re also joined by Beatriz Fuentes, President of the Sintrasplendor Union at Dole’s largest flower plantation in Colombia which has become the site of a growing worker’s struggle...

Valentine lovers urged to eye ethical cocoa

Scotsman (UK)
02/14/2007

Excerpt from article: 

"Consumers associate chocolate with pleasure and indulgence, and that stands in very stark contrast to situations facing workers and the children who are harvesting that cocoa that they are enjoying," said Tim Newman of the International Labor Rights Fund

Cocoa is chocolate's key ingredient, and Newman said consumers' heightened awareness of child labor in the West African cocoa belt in the past few years has played a vital role in the establishment of company programs designed to improve working conditions there.

Sweatshop Roses: The Hidden Price of Saying 'I Love You'

ABC News
02/14/2007

Excerpt from article:

Roses are a symbol of romance to many people -- but not to Beatriz Fuentes.

Like many of the roughly 90,000 workers on giant South American flower plantations, Fuentes helps pick most of the roses that will be delivered to Americans this Valentine's Day.

But she says she is paid less than $50 for a six-day week of demanding labor, often under difficult -- some say illegal -- conditions, including contact with dangerous chemicals.... 

 

Unhealthy Flowers: Why Buying Organic Should Not End With Your Food

AlterNet
02/13/2007

In recent years conscious consumers have enjoyed a spike in the availability of socially and environmentally responsible products. Worried about sweatshop shoes? Try on a pair of Adbusters' Blackspot sneakers. Concerned that your clothes were made in a dismal factory where the workers are paid starvation wages? Go with an American Apparel T-shirt or a No Sweat hoodie. If pesticide residues on your vegetables and hormone-laced meat are your worry, then head for the organic section at the supermarket.

Nothing says 'I love you' like chemical-laden roses Valentines

Oregonian
02/13/2007

Excerpt from article:

BOGOTA, Colombia -- It's probably the last thing most people think about when buying roses: By the time the bright, velvety flowers reach your valentine, they will have been sprayed, rinsed and dipped in a battery of potentially lethal chemicals.

Most of the toxic assault takes place in the waterlogged savanna surrounding the capital of Colombia, the world's second-largest cut-flower producer after the Netherlands. It produces 62 percent of all flowers sold in the United States...

 

Saying it with flowers and saving the planet

Globe & Mail (Canada)
02/13/2007

Excerpt from article:

TORONTO -- The organic flower market boomed in the past few years as people became aware of the environmental effects of the floral industry, say vendors riding the wave.

Scott Graham is among the vanguard, selling locally grown flowers in the summer and importing organic and sustainable flowers in the off-season. The owner of EcoFlora describes dramatically rising sales in the four years since he opened.

For Americans, Giving Roses Is a Foreign Affair

New York Times via Dow Jones
02/11/2007

If you are giving or receiving roses this Valentine's Day, chances are that they came from the same countries that produced your coffee. Nearly 90 percent of all roses sold in the United States are imported, and most of those come from Colombia. Other major rose importers include Ecuador, Mexico and Guatemala.

In future years, the same country that produces your tea may fill your vases with roses: China has made it a national priority to become one of the world's major rose exporters...  
 

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