1. Local shops: Shopping at local and independent outlets is a positive way to support our Guernsey community. Local shops often provide a more personal service; if it’s not affordable to buy locally, why not try any of the excellent ethical shopping websites.
2. Fair trade: Looking out for the Fairtrade Foundation marked products and Fair Trade shops is another way to ensure being ethically aware; recently the quality of these products has risen to a great standard.
3. Products not tested on animals: Purchasing products from cruelty free outlets and companies will make present giving a much more worry-free and enjoyable experience for everyone.
4. Battery free products: Wind-up and solar powered products should be used whenever and wherever needed as an alternative to the battery powered variety.
5. Organic and free range products: The availability and popularity of organic food continues to grow giving consumers’ greater choice. With so much organic food availble there is no reason why the entire Christmas lunch cannot be organic or free range.  Look out for the Soil Association symbol for a guarantee.
6. Non-genetically altered food: GM food is one of the most mistrusted areas of science and the ethics of genetic modification remains to be proven.  Look out for GM-free labels.
7. Recycling: If recycling is to work, recycled products must also be bought.  Recycled items save precious resources and reduce pressure on landfill sites.  Common items available are glass and paper products, although increasingly, plastics are being recycled into stationary items. Guernsey’s waste issues have been under the spotlight for some time making islanders very aware how important it is that we do recycle as much as possible.
8. Forest Stewardship Council logo: Many timber products reach the UK having originated from unsustainable managed forests, frequently rainforests which have not yet been exploited.  The Forest Stewardship Council operates an independent verification of sustainable timer and paper products.  Look out for the FSC logo on products.
9. Biodegradables: If it is necessary to buy disposable products then look out for biodegradables that decompose completely in as short a time as possible.
10. Re-useable shopping bags: Many of Guernsey’s shops and consumers have chosen to adopt a ‘bring your own bag’ policy to reduce the amount of supermarket plastic bags that end up littering streets or in the sea.  It is recommended to have reusable bags on hand when shopping.

    Fair Trade Phil

Both the Rome Summit on food in 1996 and the Millennium development Goals (2000) promised commitment to HALVING the number of undernourished in the world by 2015. How is it that by 2009 the figure has actually gone UP by almost 200 million since 1996 and 150 million since the beginning of the new millennium?

Soaring food prices have put this issue back in the forefront of urgent issues. With food commodity prices in world markets starting to fall, and the global economic crisis, we must work harder to highlight the plight of poorer countries struggling to feed themselves. The international community must not forget its commitments to the one billion people suffering from hunger, simply because of the economic cycle.

We can expect declines in public investment in agriculture, which will have devastating effects on those least able to cope, already poor, malnourished, desperate. Common sense tells us that support to agriculture needs to be increased, not be reduced. Only a healthy agricultural industry, together with international trade support leading to growing economies can begin to tackle this immense problem and work towards a sustainable future for everyone.