Rainforest Alliance Follow The Frog for a Week …and for the rest of your life
We all know the dangers of deforestation from a CO2 point of view but what about other issues? Did you know that the roots of trees helps anchor soil and stops valuable top soil being washed away and stops rivers being clogged up with soil? Did you know that we destroy more than just animal habitats when we support deforestation but also the irrevocable destruction of whole ecosystems?
I believe we’ve gotten slightly blasé in the last few years about green and eco messages. While we buy organic, we also buy certain brands which contribute to deforestation without thinking. I switched to recycled toilet paper and kitchen towel ages ago as did my office, we buy Ecover where possible and have made other changes to our lives to be as low impact as possible and yet the rainforest continues to be slashed and burned.
This week is “follow the frog” week where you are encouraged to make a choice about whether your tea supports the efforts to end deforestation and the trauma it causes the climate or not. It may seem like a world away but there are lots of ways you can support this effort. Of course, you are all buying chocolate from anywhere but the Ivory Coast and especially Divine, Hotel Chocolat’s Purist range, Willie’s Delectable Cacao, Duffy’s, and other high quality, low sugar and fat and low impact chocolate but what other changes have you made?
“The incidentals we purchase every day, including coffee, tea, fruit, flowers and paper, for example, potentially wield enormous impacts on our planet,” said Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance. “By choosing products and services that feature our little green frog, consumers can help to conserve the environment and improve the lives of communities worldwide.”
Here are three simple ways consumers can participate in Follow the Frog Week:
1. Follow the Frog
You don’t have to travel to the ends of the Earth to protect the planet — just follow the frog! Learn how you can support a more sustainable future — Follow @RnfrstAll_UK on Twitter and “like” the Rainforest Alliance on Facebook to get the latest environmental news and tips for a sustainable life.
Why this matters: Farming and the grazing of livestock are responsible for 70 percent of global deforestation. By choosing products that bear the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal, you’re supporting farms that protect soils from erosion and waterways from pollution and that support the well-being of farm workers and their communities.
2. Shop the Frog
When shopping, look for the Rainforest Alliance’s little green frog on everyday items like coffee, tea, chocolate, fruit, flowers, paper and furniture. And when planning a long-haul holiday, use SustainableTrip.org to find hotels, lodges and tour operators in Latin America and the Caribbean that are good neighbours to the community and the environment.
Why this matters: The Rainforest Alliance Certified seal and the Rainforest Alliance Verified™ mark are your assurance that goods and travel services meet strict standards for environmental, social and economic sustainability. By choosing the green frog seal, you’re rewarding communities for their commitments to sustainability and investing in their futures.
3. Support the Frog
Show your support of the Rainforest Alliance by purchasing a Follow the Frog Week t-shirt from SelflessTee. A portion of the proceeds will go to support the Rainforest Alliance’s global sustainability initiatives, and by wearing the t-shirt, you are helping to raise awareness of the Rainforest Alliance and the importance of consumer choice.
Why this matters: Small actions lead to big change. If everyone takes just one small step to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle, we can collectively make huge strides toward protecting our planet’s precious resources for generations to come.
