Welcome to ECCO Magazine’s May e-newsletter.

In this and every issue we look at our 2010 Green Resolution, where we

ask you to try to implement a few new green steps in your routine to

help make Jamaica a greener, healthier place to live. In this issue of our

e-newsletter we also look back on this year’s Earth Day celebration with

Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) and the Environmental Foundation of

Jamaica (EFJ).

Stay tuned and up to date with ECCO Magazine™, Jamaica’s premier

green lifestyle magazine. Happy reading!

Go Green Army!

Shelly-Ann Dunkley

E.C.C.O. Magazine

Cel: (876) 378-1257

Fax: (876) 926-8152

MAGAZINE

Shelly-Ann

CONTENT

• Earth Day Activities• Organic and Local Produce• The Power of Paw Paw (Papaya)• ECCO Green Army Calendar

OUR PRINT PARTNER

GREEN TIPTo help save water and save money install low-flow showerheads or flow restrictors. They will cut the flow of water to about 3 gallons per minute.

Earth Day was observed worldwide on April 22, 2010 and to mark the 40th year of its observation the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ), in collaboration with Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) presented the inaugural Earth Day Expo and the launch of the Jamaica Environmental Challenge Awards. The event was one of the activities planned to mark Earth Day, which was observed under the theme “The Green Generation”. Digicel a key sponsor for the day also participated as an important step in their Digicel Green initiative.

The activities for the day included:

Earth Day A C T I V I T I E S

EFJ and Jamaica Environment Trust

Earth Day ExpositionEFJ and Jamaica Environment Trustpartners, Grant beneficiaries, corporate entities and school environmental clubs presented displays under the theme Green Generations. Twenty-three exhibitors including the University of the West Indies, Protect the Environment Trust, Nestle, Digicel (also a sponsor of the event), United States Embassy, Northern Caribbean University as well as a number of schools such as Westwood High, St. Hugh’s Prep and Randolph Lopez School of Hope were powered by 390 students and 29 teachers.

Rotary Race to LiteracyThe Expo also served as a drop off point for books for the Rotary Club Race to Literacy Book Drive. Books collected were handed over to the Rotary Club. EFJ is providing funding support for the purchase of environment books for children.

Shaggy Parrot and the Sunshine BandThe Lunch Hour event also included handing over of a cheque to the producers of the environmental children’s book Shaggy Parrot and the Sunshine Band.

Students from St Hugh’s Prep and their teacher show off their endemic bird costumes at Earth Day Expo in Hope Gardens, April 22nd

Jamaica Environment Trust’s CEO Diana McCaulay (centre) shares a moment with Digicel’s CEO Mark Linehan (left) and First Caribbean’s Managing Director Clovis Metcalfe (right)

The Foundation with the assistance of NGOs also coordinated and provided sponsorship for 3 other events around the island on Earth Day. These included:

Negril Coral Reef Preservation Society (Westmoreland)Schools within the Negril Environment Protection Area were engaged in Poster, Green Fashion, Best Kept and Greenest School competitions. They will also had tree planting and boat tours activities.

Portland Environmental Protection Association (Portland)PEPA hosted a parade and an awareness concert and environmental exposition at the Port Antonio High School. They also be showed Al Gore’s documentary feature “An Inconvenient Truth” at the College of Arts Science and Education (CASE).

Brown’s Town Community College (St. Ann) The College hosted a fair highlighting the activities and importance of the Environment for the schools and students of North Jamaica.

Jamaica Producer’s Corporate Affairs Manager Lisa Johnston (right) views Westwood High’s display at Earth day Expo in Hope Gardens, April 22nd

GREEN FACTThe Great Pacific

Garbage Patch, has approximately 100 million tons of swirling waste and

debris in the Pacific Ocean. It covers an area twice

the size of the continental U.S.

1 NUTRITION

There is an ongoing debate regarding the nutritional value of organic produce versus conventional produce. Some say organic produce have a higher nutritional value. There has been no conclusive evidence showing that organic foods are more nutritious than conventionally grown foods.

2 QUALITY AND FORM

The difference lies in how the food is produced, processed and handled. You may find that organic fruits and vegetables spoil faster because they aren’t treated with waxes or preservatives. In most cases, however, organic foods look identical to their conventional counterparts.

3 PESTICIDES

Organic farming represents a more natural way of farming. They must be free of all artificial food additives. They are often processed using fewer artificial methods, materials and conditions such as chemical ripening, food irradiation and genetically

modified ingredients. The use of synthetic pesticides is not allowed. Conventional growers use pesticides to protect their crops from molds, insects and diseases. When farmers spray pesticides, this can leave residue on produce. Some people buy organic food to limit their exposure to these residues. Some experts claim that the amount of pesticides found on fruits and vegetables may pose a small health risk.

4 ENVIRONMENT

Organic farming practices are designed to benefit the environment by reducing pollution and conserving water and soil.

5 COST

More expensive farming practices and lower crop yields may lead to higher prices. Because organic farmers don’t use herbicides or pesticides, many management tools that control weeds and pests tend to be more labor intensive.

2010

May Newsletter

Green Challenge

ORGANIC AND LOCAL PRODUCEWhy buy organic foods? There are numerous reasons: nutritional value, chemical-free, environmental benefits, better tasting and more. But with as all these opinions and changing scientific research what’s the real story on organic foods.

REASONS TO CONSIDER ORGANIC

Costs of conventional produce:• Use of pesticides and herbicides• Foods start losing nutrients once

harvested: the shorter the distance from farm to table the more nutritious your meal will be

• Fuel cost to transport product to Jamaica

• Over producing land with same crop: time and time again, need to grow plants interchangeably

Benefits of local and organic foods: • Organic farms are better at

sustaining diverse ecosystems, i.e., populations of plants and insects, as well as animals.

• Organic farms do not consume or release synthetic pesticides into the environment—some of which have the potential to harm soil, water and local terrestrial and aquatic wildlife.

• Produce grown locally taste better than products shipped from thousands of miles away, frozen.

• By supporting local farmers we are sustaining our own local economy. Allows you to get to know your farmer, the person that is providing food for you and your family vs. a distant stranger from across the seas

Where to buy:• Local farmer’s markets: Coronation

Market (Downtown Kingston), Constant Spring Market & Papine Market (beside U-TECH)

• Organic Fertilizer – Product called RESCUE. MyEliteGrocer.com recommends this product because while organic fertilizer is not cheap, they have subsidized it to suit your pockets. The 2lb & 10 lb packaging options are easy to carry & convenient.

• Organic Produce: a. Woodford Market Garden:

woodfordmarketgarden@gmail.com Tel: 876-750-8259 b. Rowan’s Royale: dark@cwjamaica.com Tel: 876-927-2015• Local and organic foods: a. Loshusan’s Supermarket 29 East King’s House Rd, Kgn 8 Tel: 946-1680/978-8101 b. JoJo’s Farmer’s Market 12 Waterloo Road, Kgn 10 Tel: 906-1612/906-109 c. Earl’s Juice Garden 29 Haining Road, Kgn 5. Tel: 920-1677 d. Empire Supermarket: Lane Plaza 121 Old Hope Rd, Kgn 6 dkerr@empiresupermarket.com Tel: 970-2496, Fax: 977-4415 e. Michi Super Center 2 Savannah Ave, Kgn 20 custcare@michijamaica.com Tel: 969-3333 f. Kerr’s Enterprise 10 Brome Close, Kgn 20 (off Washington Blvd) Tel: 925-8052/931-9121

The above list has been recommended by MyEliteGrocer.com as they generally have consistent supplies of quality local and organic foods and often directly from Jamaican farms at affordable prices.

Call for a listing of Organic farmers in Jamaica: Jamaica Organic Agricultural Movement: Tel: 876-858-9342

ECCO’s GREEN ARMYcalendar 4th- 6th 14th Annual Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment

Conference. San Juan, Puerto Rico

9th-12th 11th Sustainable Tourism Conference. Bridgetown, Barbados

11th-13th Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) 2010. Half Moon Hotel, Montego Bay, Jamaica

22nd World Biodiversity Day - Launch of Endemic Trees Book

28th-30th Calabash International Literary Festival 2010. Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth, Jamaica

30th – June 5th Environmental Awareness Week

MAY

Paw paw, as the papaya is affectionately known in Jamaica, is rich in minerals for the body and skin. This amazing fruit contains powerful enzymes for digestion and is an excellent source of beta carotene, Vitamin A, C, and E. Not only are the nutrients in this fruit are useful for cleansing and nourishing the skin, but its enzyme, papain, is known to clear spots and other common skin irritations. Its properties have not been lost on cosmetic manufacturers who whip the fruit into their formulas for treatment of blemishes and wrinkles and to restore the skins natural radiance and elasticity.

The Power of PawPaw(Papaya)Deidre Nolan Make your own Paw paw facial

- Cut a small papaya in half and remove the seeds. - Remove the inside pulp and crush into paste. - Do a light facial steam by placing head over a bowl of boiling water for about 1 minute to open the pores. - Gently apply the fruit mixture to face and neck area. - Once a thin layer has formed on the skin, steam the

face for another minute. - Leave the mask on for approximately 10 minutes. - Remove using a warm rag to gently wipe the mask

off of the skin.- Rinse face with cold water to seal pores then pat skin

dry with a clean soft cotton towel.

To increase your glow and soften your skin, try adding these great ingredients to your papaya facial:- Oatmeal (1/4 cup Colloidal Oatmeal blended into a

powder) - Honey ( 1 Tsp)

Make your own papaya facial

A Papaya Facial is a great way to cleanse, gently exfoliate and restore a natural healthy glow.