Devon Whittle » Uncategorized

Domain name interesting fact

devonwhittle — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:34:28 +0000

Foreign policy says that the the North Korean TLD .kp has only one site registered – the government run Naenara. Domain name interesting fact is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com. Related posts:New domain, new theme, new RSS feed Interesting Charter Application to BAE Systems Case Now tweeting live from Arusha, Tanzania

Domain name interesting fact is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

Where's the (kobe) BEEF (come from)?

devonwhittle — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:34:46 +0000

Gourmet has a must read article on the truth behind Kobe Beef. I was under the impression this was some of the best (ie. most well treated) animal meat you could buy, obviously I was mistaken.

Where's the (kobe) BEEF (come from)? is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

How to use Google Scholar with Melbourne University Subscriptions

Social Innovations Podcast

devonwhittle — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 11:15:56 +0000

I stumbled across Social Innovations via a blog, looks like a very interesting podcast of conversations about social change. Social Innovations Podcast is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com. Related posts:Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Competition Oxfam's new fairtrade chocolate is awesome Clay Shirky on information overload, filter failure and personal privacy

Social Innovations Podcast is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

What's your money worth?

devonwhittle — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 02:44:37 +0000

Crazy inflation around the world. Check out this Foreign Policy article about the world’s worst currencies. 60,000 Zimbabwe dollars for US$1. What's your money worth? is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com. Related posts:Good money, bad money AFRICOM: nation building by the US Africa Offline

What's your money worth? is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

Time – What the World Eats

devonwhittle — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 07:39:04 +0000

Beautiful photo slideshow from Time on What The World Eats. Time – What the World Eats is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com. Related posts:How to use Google Scholar with Melbourne University Subscriptions Strange Maps – World GDP v US States The World's Most Powerful Development NGOs

Time – What the World Eats is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

If only people were as free as capital

devonwhittle — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 04:27:21 +0000

Is labour mobility the key to solving poverty? The debate continues. If only people were as free as capital is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com. Related posts:Free time for political advertisements during elections Biofuels versus Food 17 reasons for free public transport

If only people were as free as capital is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

Photoessay: The making of a fairtrade soccer ball

devonwhittle — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 07:35:03 +0000

This brief series of photos is pretty cool. It shows the different manufacturing stages a fairtrade soccer balls goes through. I found it pretty enlightening. If you are interested in getting one for yourself check out Etiko. They are the Australian fairtrade soccer ball distributor – their balls look a bit different to the ones in the link but are just as fair!

Photoessay: The making of a fairtrade soccer ball is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

October be Fair Trade month in USA

devonwhittle — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 23:34:57 +0000

This month is the month to Discover Fair Trade in America. Lots of bloggers talking it up, if you live in America now’s a good month to get on-board. If you live in Australia and want to get your head around fair trade, check out Discover Fair Trade anyway, it’s got a good overview of the issues. Or the UK Fairtrade Foundation is great place to start too.

October be Fair Trade month in USA is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

Peru, Fair Trade Coffee and the Minimum Wage

devonwhittle — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 01:22:26 +0000

I doubt that anyone thinks that the Fairtrade accreditation system is perfect. A hugely complex beast, it has to work with a variety of farmers, cultures, products and people across massive distances with little money to spend on checking up or enforcement. From the coffee farmers to the co-operatives to the roasters to the cafes, the system is supposed to be able to guarantee consumers that the product their buying was produced under ethical conditions with a fair amount been paid to the farmers and labourers. Consumers trust the label as their guarantee, and that’s a trust that’s not easily given but can be easily lost. So it can be very disheartening to read of reports of some Fairtrade farmers paying below minimum wages to their employees. The Financial Times investigated five farms in Peru and found that four of the five were paying 10 soles a day, whereas the minimum wage is 11 soles a day. It’s not a huge difference but in propaganda value alone this can be quite a powerful piece of information in the wrong hands.

It’s good, however, to keep this in perspective. The Fairtrade farmers don’t yet sell all, or even the majority in most cases, of their fairtrade accredited crop at Fairtrade prices. This means it is understandly hard for them to achieve immediate 100% compliance with wages. Also, the Fairtrade system is all about progression. This means that when signing on the Fairtrade system farmers agree that each year they will strive for higher standards and better quality products. This makes it easier for new farmers to come on board and ensures that no-one gets apathetic about ethical production standards.

The Fairtrade system isn’t foolproof yet. Of course it’s sad to see non-fairtrade products been exported as Fairtrade, or to see Fairtrade produce planted in environmentally-irresponsible ways. However the system is still relatively new, it isn’t cash rich, and is currently the best option out there to securing an ethical product.

Addendum:FLO has responded to the FT article. A very good read I would highly recommend you download and read the pdf. In brief: the wage being paid on Fairtrade farms in Peru is 25% higher then other farms in the area, the farms in question are progressively increasing their adherence to Fairtrade standards, FLO had already picked up the supply irregularities and had planned investigation into Peruvian co-ops passing off non-Fairtrade product as Fairtrade. It also contains details on the independence of FLO and the accreditation system as well as information on the accusations of environmentally irresponsible planting.

Read more insights at Owen’s musings and Green LA Girl.

Peru, Fair Trade Coffee and the Minimum Wage is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.