With Valentine’s Day just round the corner, here’s a quick guide to spoiling your loved one without spoiling the planet. Helping to conserve the Earth’s beautiful forests, protect precious wildlife and promote the well-being of communities worldwide can be as easy as looking for the Rainforest Alliance’s little green frog on goods and services.
Breakfast in bed
Start the day in the most romantic way possible with breakfast in bed. Make sure the tea, coffee and juice you are serving comes from a Rainforest Alliance Certified farm. The little green frog on the packaging shows that farms have met strict standards that include providing decent wages and access to housing, education and health care to workers.
Cards
Whether you’re sending a secret Valentine’s card or declaring your love with your name, make sure the card you choose carries the stamp of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) . This shows that the card has been made out of FSC Certified paper, and that the wood comes from trees harvested in ways that protect both the land and its people.
Fine wines
Complement your Valentine’s Day meal with a bottle of wine that has a cork stopper instead of a screw top lid, particularly if the cork is certified meet the environmental and social standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Mediterranean cork forests provide refuge for the Iberian lynx and other endangered species and support local farmers who sustainably harvest the cork bark without damaging the trees, leaving them standing for future generations.
Say it with flowers
That beautiful bouquet you want to present to your loved one was probably grown in a rainforest country. Unfortunately, flower cultivation has often come at the expense of healthy ecosystems and the well-being of workers and surrounding communities. However, by choosing a bouquet that carries the little green frog seal, you will be helping to curb deforestation and protect wildlife and the well-being of farm workers and their families.
Quality time together
Actions speak louder than words, so why not show your loved one how much they – and the environment – mean to you by taking them for a romantic, appreciating stroll through the woods. As the lungs of our planet, forests clean the air we breathe, store carbon (a service we desperately need if we want to slow climate change), and provide homes to wildlife and livelihoods to indigenous communities (some of whom are actively working to remove emissions for all our benefit).
The Rainforest Alliance believes every action, big and small makes a difference. Better choices means stronger forests, less carbon dioxide in the air, less contaminated water and less pollution. Search for sustainable products near you with this handy Shop the Frog tool from the Rainforest Alliance.
—
This post was compiled with the assistance of the Rainforest Alliance.
