Living an Organic Lifestyle e-newsletter - Jan 2009
The Year of the Ox
Having just returned from a month long trip to Asia, it seems I parachuted into ground zero of the doom and gloom associated with the recession.
As a retailer, I ask myself whether we can survive this downturn if our customers stop buying.
Like most businesses, Organic Lifestyle has been affected by a drop in sales but comforted by the fact that our core customers continue to maintain an organic lifestyle. Afterall, just because the near future is uncertain, does this mean we compromise our values and beliefs and buy items that we know are harmful for us?
I believe, as demonstrated by our patrons, that people will maintain their lifestyle but will exercise caution. So let me remind you to support Organic Lifestyle for your everyday organic needs such as Ecover Cleaning Products (very competitively priced) to organic gift items for upcoming baby and wedding registries.
India/ Sri Lanka
The prediction of a miserable winter was all the justification I needed for taking a much needed vacation. It gave me the opportunity to visit some of the factories where we source some of our products like our organic cotton sateen sheet sets. We made new friends whose voices we had known for years but whose faces we'd never seen before.
It was interesting but as seen in the pictures, men predominately work in the factories as opposed to women. It has alot to do with the regional culture but men in these parts have to financially support on average 6 family members (their immediate and extended families). Workers are paid fair wages and are provided subsidized housing and meals.
Of course, all work and no play.... so I made my way to the majestic Taj Mahal in Agra, 3 h away from New Delhi by train. Like most places today, they need and are taking drastic steps to reduce the impact of pollution. I've done my share of traveling, but Delhi is one of the worst places for pollution - it felt like sucking car exhaust via shisha pipe! I heard China might be worse but its so scary to think that this is the world we live in - our own Canadian lakes/rivers are polluted - when did this become acceptable? These industrial giants, slowly poisoning themselves and the environment, only to meet our demands for cheaper products.
However, you and I are making a difference - by supporting a people and planet friendly supply chain, we have less of an ecological footprint compared to conventionally sourced products.
Stay tuned for the next e-newsletter about my adventures on an organic tea farm in Sri Lanka. Till then, thank you for living and supporting Organic Lifestyle.
