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Greetings!

I have been on hiatus from Green Products Alliance for the past 6 months. Part of it was my frustration with the corporatization of the natural products industry (I will get over it), and part of it was that I needed to gauge the level of interest in the Green Products mission: to network natural care products companies who believe that socially responsible business practices can help to create a sustainable economy and ecosystem.

Thanks for all the emails encouraging continuation of the GPA Newsletter.
Feel free to email Larry@VermontSoap.com with comments.

Best To All,   Soapman

November  '04

Living close to the natural world and the seasons as we do in the Hollows and Valleys of Vermont; it would seem pretty obvious what is natural and what is, well, not natural. Garden kale stew with local sausage, pretty damn natural. Cooler Ranch Doritos (TM) in a cellophane bag, I ain't expecting to see any time soon down at the Co-op. Oh wait! I think I did see some kind of suspiciously flavored, ultra packaged, chip type product in the the local natural products store. Which is my point exactly.

The line between natural and unnatural became increasingly blurred past week during the big Natural Products Expo down in Washington, DC. It's hard to ignore the obvious irony of having a natural products trade show in DC. And never mind reflections about life behind the beltway, and what it does to one's sense of what is natural and not natural. I am here today, not to editorialize, but to present the facts of life, as I see em.

1) Washington is basically hell on Earth. We wrote a really cool rock song during the 9 hour drive home. It's main lyric consists of the phrase "No more days in hell". A bunch of us waited over an hour in the Express line of a ghetto grocery store to buy water and paper cups. Everyday, including Sunday, drivers rode our bumpers in a barely controlled rage - from stoplight to stoplight. No chance of anyone getting there quicker, just a city stretched taut. Someone was shot in our hotel. There were more homeless people than last year, and more homeless young women. Yet the federal buildings stood white and stately in the distance, with manicured lawns and helicopters laden with wealthy politicians buzzed overhead.

2) Natural is dead (almost).  80% of the booths at Natural Products Expo were distinctly UNnatural. Had a great talk with the folks from ADM. Archer Daniels Midland once paid a 6 billion dollar fine - and showed a profit that same year. They happily informed me that my favorite non meat burger was made with their GM soy. One friend said: "Have you been down those aisles?". "Doesn't it make you want to cry?".

3) If America is the center of Western Civilization, and DC is it's Capital, I submit that our civilization is about to hit a brick wall.

4) All that aside, there sure are some beautiful, cool people trying like hell to make a positive influence on the world. Yeah for the 20%!  Look guys, the darkest hour is just before the dawn.  Baby steps, baby steps...gourmet products always go through a distinct market cycle: First it is quaint, then eccentric, then upscale, then mass market.  Where is the natural personal care products industry in the cycle?  Somewhere between upscale and mass market I suspect.

It all (I mean this in the context of the survival of Western Civilization, as well as our own industry), comes down to this one basic thing - natural vs unnatural. As a society we are largely out of touch with the natural. Statements like: "I'm a natural girl, I use Herbal Essence!", do not fly anymore. We are pretty near down to the wire now.

If you are still reading this, you have a part to play in all of it. As goes America, so goes the rest of the world.

Organic Personal Care Products Standards - I attended the OTA task force meeting at the Expo. Things appear to be moving forward. The excesses of the corporate perspective ("if it has a molecule of organic ingredients it is organic", to paraphrase GW Bush2), is definitely being tempered by the work of the other committee members and the influence of the Organic Consumers Association http://www.organicconsumers.org/. Seems that the barrage of letters from consumers about the labeling shenanigans of some "organic" personal care products companies has at last made an impression.

There is still a wide variety of opinions as to what constitutes an organic personal care product, but things seem to be moving towards the center anyway. I suspect the final rules for a "Made with organic ingredients" claim will allow a lot more chemical type stuff than most people will be comfortable with. After their work is wrapped up, the proposed standards go to the ANSI people to be put into National Standards format. This may take three years. Then back to USDA or FDA, (depending on who ends up in charge of this), and ultimately, in about 5 years from now - maybe, we will have a National Organic Standard for Personal Care.  If we all stay vigilant and proactive it may actually mean something.  In the meantime, I encourage everyone to make products that meet NOP Organic Food Standards. Since 'All Natural" is meaningless, Organic is the best marketing designation for those in the business of manufacturing clean personal care products. And if you meet food standards, you will absolutely meet any new national standard.

If you believe, as I do, that Western Civilization is deep doodoo, UNLESS we change our perspective and conduct our lives and our businesses in a renewable and sustainable manner, the importance of our work in the industry becomes even more acute. Few people become fabulously wealthy by doing the right thing, but you can make a decent living trying.

Sanity, has increasingly become my main priority. I can't take the adrenaline rushes of psychodrama and stress like I used to. What's the point anyway? Time has become a most precious commodity. Time and money; hard to have both at the same time. Guess when you have both... you've won! Or retired.... Time, money and health...and sanity. May we have them all!

Resources:

Many people are questioning the news and polls we are fed here in the States. If you are looking to learn what the International Press is reporting, I recommend Information Clearinghouse - an independent news service linking newspapers around the world. This is a free service! http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/subscribe.htm You can preview the format at the bottom of the page.

NOP Certified Organic Shea Butter just came another step closer to reality. In mid January Sandy and I will be returning to Ghana. A highly reputable OG certifier has agreed to travel to the savanna lands and look into certifying some of the co-ops and shea stands. We MAY have NOP shea in the States by June. In the meantime, I have 50 drums of not-yet-certified shea butter coming - probably within 2 months. Our first shipment of 4 drums sold out quickly, so I am bringing over 50 this time. Made from wild crafted nuts, hand processed by the good women of Nasia, Ghana.  Let me know if you want a piece of this....

Best Online Bookstore for sustainability and books on natural stuff. Over 6,000 new and used titles. This is Sandy's business (along with 2 small brick and mortar stores), so you better believe they get top grades! www.seasonedbooks.com

Organic Olive Oil from Montreal - Well, shipped from there anyway. I am testing a newer supplier. Almost a thousand dollars a drum less expensive than the stuff I have been using. Shipping was reasonable (we used our account for further savings). Very green and nutty - lighter and yummier than our current stuff too. Bianca International Organic - BIO Inc. Tel: (514) 376-7711 www.biorganic.ca. Email: biologique@videotron.ca. Using email is good, as they are hard to understand on the phone. Prices are in Canadian dollars so you save even more.

Green Products Alliance is sponsored this month by the Vermont Soapworks Factory Outlet and Soap Museum. Natural personal care products for people with sensitive skin. Stop by and see us on your next journey through the North Country! www.vermontsoap.com

Feel free to forward, quote or reference the Green Products Newsletter.  Relevent opinions, essays and comments are always welcome.