The super soft and washable world of eco-plush

Today I was quite surprised to find a big package of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in my mail. As a supporter of the WWF I've had their member magazine send to me before, but that usually looks small and flat. Never did I receive any package this inflated and shapeless. Apparently I won with a member survey I had taken some time ago, so the attached letter said. A real aha-erlbenis remained distant as I take practically any survey I come across.

An eco-plush silver back gorilla. His real-life counterpart is
one of the so-called flagship species of the WWF. This
basically means that people regard the gorilla as cuddly.

Without further bothering what survey earned me this package, curiosity took over. My price? A beautiful plush silver back gorilla. Admittedly not entirely suited for a guy of my age, but then again one shouldn't look a gift uhm... primate in the mouth. Besides, he's totally free of 'chlororganics' (some type of nasty chemicals) and eco-friendly in any other imaginable way. The ticket says:

In buying WWF plush items you are supporting WWF - the global conservation organisation. For more information visit the WWF website. Carefully tested. High quality. Super soft. Washable.

Before you start judging the quality of my eco-plush gorilla I want to say I was a sceptic at first too. How can eco-plush measure up against any standard stuffed animal? Believe me, it can. My gorilla's ticket totally speaks the truth: he is super soft, but really amazingly soft. Not like any plush animal I felt before. It's also completely safe to put parts of the plush animal in your mouth as they are made according to leading safety standards. I wish I could transmit the feel of my silver back gorilla but sadly that isn't possible. Anyway, I'm totally into eco-plush right now as it is superior in all qualities, save the price. They are indeed a bit more expensive but they are sustainable and in buying them you support a good cause. Did I mention the 'free of child labor' guarantee already?

Writing on the conclusion, I realize that I am not sure what it is I hope achieve with this post. Maybe I'm only expressing how happy I am with my little gift? Or maybe I am making you aware of how awesome eco-plush is. Anyway, eco-plush animals make a wonderful gift. It would be good to keep this in mind considering the upcoming holidays. Finally something you can buy without the need of feeling guilty about consumerism ruining the planet...

SOME LINKS

- A selection of plush animals designed for the WWF

- Plush assortment on the WWF Shop website

- Become a supporting member just like me

- Or join the new adopt-an-animal program

Join the Banana War

I have recently joined a fight of a global scale; a war that involves some of the world's major economic powers: the Banana War! To fully understand this trade conflict, it is necessary to take a look at its history first. The European common market may be internally open to competition, it has a firm tradition of protectionism. The common market was born in 1957 when the European Economic Community (EEC) was formally erected. France however feared it couldn't face the German competition. Therefore it demanded that the principle of the common market was applied to the agrarian production too. France after all is one of the most agricultural countries on the continent. To safeguard European domestic food supply, the EEC also decided to pull up barriers against food imports.

Just five companies control 80% of the world wide banana
trade. These are Dole, Del Monte, Chiquita, Fyffes and
Noboa. Don't support their exploitation-based monopoly,
Buy Fair Trade!

Now what could this possibly have to do with bananas? Believe it or not, but Europe is a producer. Spain has a small share in the EU's banana production, but the major source is again France. Easily overlooked are the French overseas territories and they practically live from banana cultivation. A lot of Europe's trading partners don't like the tariffs we handle since they give an unfair advantage to French bananas. Luckily for American multinationals, Europe has a demand for bananas which surpasses the own production capacity. The war only commenced once Europe altered its protectionist policies in favor of fair trade...

In 2001 the EU approved the "Everything But Arms"-ordinance. This nice piece of legislation granted a reduction in trade tariffs for the ACP-countries (former European colonies). For the Least-Developed Countries, trade tariffs were abolished altogether. Europe didn't demand any compensations in return, this action was inspired by ethics only! The Commission wanted to stimulate the position of fair trade products to aid the developing world. And indeed, the competitive advantage greatly reduced the price gap between fair trade bananas and the so-called 'dollar bananas'. The difference in your purse between buying Oxfam or buying Chiquita became marginal.

The big American concerns, who grow their bananas at big plantations in Latin America using cheap labour, were not amused. Like an adult whining over some candy given to children, they demanded tariff reductions for themselves too. The World Trade Organization already ruled that the EU falsifies competition and this doesn't sort with their neoliberal dogma. Only free competition between exploitation and fair trade can lead to a better world, say the big boys. Europe has to give up on its supportive measures for fair trade. In the future the price gap will certainly rise. I urge you all to join this war, you can all help make a difference. Corporate exploiters haven't won yet; please stop buying dollar bananas and give the South a chance! Buy fair trade!