“Seeding Change: The power of Conscious Commerce'' is among several recent documentaries including “WeRiseUp,” “8 Billion Angels” and “To Which We Belong,” that focus on hope and taking action when it comes to the clear and present danger of the global environmental crisis.
Director Richard Yelland looks at several businesses that were formed and operate as social and environmental models. The entrepreneurs of these companies offer impassioned testimony that conscious commerce isn’t just financially feasible but it allows everyone in the supply chain to reap rewards in the longer term. It’s also smart; economists note that major companies want to be forward thinking even if purely for a positive corporate image.
The film opens with the inspiring story of Sambazon, the first certified organic and fair trade açaí company in the world when it was launched in 2000. Sambazon works closely with indigenous farmers in the rain forests of Brazil to harvest the acai berry — there’s great footage of young men and women expertly scaling towering trees to fetch the palms studded with berries. By buying directly from the farmers, Sambazon allows these residents to make a living on their own land, putting the profits back into their communities which can then afford services such as schools. It’s also sustainable: the company rotates harvests in order to protect the biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest. This is a very different model than large scale cutting down of trees for lumber which is how many make their living in the region.
Other businesses have similar approaches. Chris Mann and David Karr talk about fair trade practices with harvesters for their Guayaki Yerba Mate. Ahmed Rahim and Reem Hassani, founders of Numi Tea, explain their fair trade practices and also how hard they worked to develop biodegradable packaging. Mark Walker of OuterKnown clothing cites the enormous waste of textiles being loaded into landfills by the minute as his motivation for making clothing from sustainable and recycled materials,
The film is a call to action for consumers to be aware, informed and responsible. It’s not
about advertising the products — although you may find yourself looking where to buy them after hearing such ringing endorsements) —but rather a blueprint for what is possible on scales large and small and how we all can take positive steps to action.
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