Fair Trade CASHEWS? Nuts!!

[emilynghiem]

First I heard about Fair Trade Coffee. And not buying from sources
that abused workers. But to support distributors where the farmers and workers
retain more of their profits and/or share in ownership of management co-ops.

Now I found out that CASHEWS also involve worker abuses, of a different kind.
It turns out the caustic acid in the fruit picking will burn the hands and skin of
workers if they aren't given proper gloves for protection. Strikes in India
may explain the upsurge in production from Vietnam and other competing sources.

This article lists TWO fair trade companies I'd never heard of.

'Blood cashews': the toxic truth about your favourite nut

Who would have thought we had to deal with "blood cashews"

Learn something new every day!

 

[JoeMoma]

Well, what is worse.... buy cashews that may cause harm to their hands, or to stop buying cashews and put them out of jobs.

 

[Moonglow]

First I heard about Fair Trade Coffee. And not buying from sources
that abused workers. But to support distributors where the farmers and workers
retain more of their profits and/or share in ownership of management co-ops.

Now I found out that CASHEWS also involve worker abuses, of a different kind.
It turns out the caustic acid in the fruit picking will burn the hands and skin of
workers if they aren't given proper gloves for protection. Strikes in India
may explain the upsurge in production from Vietnam and other competing sources.

This article lists TWO fair trade companies I'd never heard of.

'Blood cashews': the toxic truth about your favourite nut

Who would have thought we had to deal with "blood cashews"

Learn something new every day!

I get mine from California, where illegal immigrant children suffer burns from harvesting..

 

[Moonglow]

Well, what is worse.... buy cashews that may cause harm to their hands, or to stop buying cashews and put them out of jobs.

I can't live without chocolate covered cashews..

 

[Moonglow]

When I pick berries next month I will be abusing myself by picking berries with thorned branches...please boycott me..

 

[JoeMoma]

When I pick berries next month I will be abusing myself by picking berries with thorned branches...please boycott me..

Yeah, blackberries grow wild in my area..... yummy.. but those damn thorns....

 

[Kat]

Well, what is worse.... buy cashews that may cause harm to their hands, or to stop buying cashews and put them out of jobs.

I can't live without chocolate covered cashews..

Chocolate covered?? Never had. I love roasted and sea salt added...

 

[IcebergSlim]

Well, what is worse.... buy cashews that may cause harm to their hands, or to stop buying cashews and put them out of jobs.

I can't live without chocolate covered cashews..

Down with chocolate and cashews.....but I think the combo kinda sucks....

 

[IcebergSlim]

First I heard about Fair Trade Coffee. And not buying from sources
that abused workers. But to support distributors where the farmers and workers
retain more of their profits and/or share in ownership of management co-ops.

Now I found out that CASHEWS also involve worker abuses, of a different kind.
It turns out the caustic acid in the fruit picking will burn the hands and skin of
workers if they aren't given proper gloves for protection. Strikes in India
may explain the upsurge in production from Vietnam and other competing sources.

This article lists TWO fair trade companies I'd never heard of.

'Blood cashews': the toxic truth about your favourite nut

Who would have thought we had to deal with "blood cashews"

Learn something new every day!

Just wanted to stop by to confirm that Emily is the Greatest of All the Mods...

Sorry to damn you with Faint Praise, Em.

 

[Moonglow]

Well, what is worse.... buy cashews that may cause harm to their hands, or to stop buying cashews and put them out of jobs.

I can't live without chocolate covered cashews..

Chocolate covered?? Never had. I love roasted and sea salt added...

Yeah me too, I could eat myself to death with cashews or pistachios..

 

[Compost]

Would it really be too difficult for the workers to buy gloves and wear them on the job? They don't get paid well, but seriously, they endure burns on their hands because the boss doesn't provide gloves?

 

[Old Rocks]

Well, what is worse.... buy cashews that may cause harm to their hands, or to stop buying cashews and put them out of jobs.

That is hardly the choice. The choice is by economics force the companies to provide their workers with proper protection. Remember, a company goes down, it is not just the workers that lose their jobs, the managers and owners lose, also. Protective gloves would hardly be a problem for the company economically.

 

[Kat]

Well, what is worse.... buy cashews that may cause harm to their hands, or to stop buying cashews and put them out of jobs.

I can't live without chocolate covered cashews..

Down with chocolate and cashews.....but I think the combo kinda sucks....

Then try chocolate covered gummy bears...

ewwwwwwwwwwww

 

[JoeMoma]

Well, what is worse.... buy cashews that may cause harm to their hands, or to stop buying cashews and put them out of jobs.

That is hardly the choice. The choice is by economics force the companies to provide their workers with proper protection. Remember, a company goes down, it is not just the workers that lose their jobs, the managers and owners lose, also. Protective gloves would hardly be a problem for the company economically.

From my prospective, the choice is do I buy the nuts or not. I doubt the company will know why I make that decision.

 

[SSDD]

When I pick berries next month I will be abusing myself by picking berries with thorned branches...please boycott me..

Yeah, blackberries grow wild in my area..... yummy.. but those damn thorns....

It has taken me about 20 years, but I now have an area that is about 30 feet to a side of thornless blackberrys that make berries about 3/4 the size of a green seedless grape.....a worthy project to start if you are young...I didn't start mine till I was in my mid 40's...to bad I didn't think of it when I was in my 20s or 30's.

 

[flacaltenn]

First I heard about Fair Trade Coffee. And not buying from sources
that abused workers. But to support distributors where the farmers and workers
retain more of their profits and/or share in ownership of management co-ops.

Now I found out that CASHEWS also involve worker abuses, of a different kind.
It turns out the caustic acid in the fruit picking will burn the hands and skin of
workers if they aren't given proper gloves for protection. Strikes in India
may explain the upsurge in production from Vietnam and other competing sources.

This article lists TWO fair trade companies I'd never heard of.

'Blood cashews': the toxic truth about your favourite nut

Who would have thought we had to deal with "blood cashews"

Learn something new every day!

Seems like an easy problem to solve. A dozen sets of gloves go for less than a pound of cashews. Don't have to emotionalize with the "blood" label. Just start a GoFundMe to distribute gloves to the workers. Get the national govts to help distribute them..

Problem solved. No guilt... No march on nuts...