My friend Dani did some fantastic research on the beer industry, human trafficking, and slavery. I have posted it below for your reading pleasure (or displeasure). I am not a beer drinker myself (b/c it is full of gluten and I can't have it), but the information here about 'beer girls' is powerful.
It's a lot easier to find out what beers I should NOT drink, rather than beers that are kosher...in a manner of speaking of course.
So the first item I found was this:
http://www.fairtradebeer.com/reportfiles/engtrouw230503.html
This actually has nothing to do with beer production, but more to do with the beer promotion. There are “beer girls” in Cambodia who are the spokeswomen for a beer. For instance there could be a Stella beer girl, who will hang out in an assigned bar, ordering Stella all night and allowing men to buy them Stella. (For you Arrested Development Fans, think Season One- the Public Relations episode where Lindsay is the spokeswoman for a brand of vodka).
So, there are two problems, which these large corporate beer companies need to take steps to change:
1.) There is no regulation on maximum amount of alcohol these women can consume
2.) These women are only making 50% of what they need to support their families
So what ends up happening: a shocking number of women end up prostituting themselves to the men who are buying them copious amounts of alcohol, to make up the fiscal difference in order to support their families. Because of the large amounts of alcohol consumption in any given evening, most women (and probably their johns) are too drunk to think to use protection. The end result: a high percentage of women in Cambodia with HIV and AIDS.
Here are the companies currently using beer girls:
Heineken family (includes Asia Pacific Brewery, Cambodia Breweries Ltd, Attwood Import/Export, Thai Asia Pacific Brewery)
ABC
Anchor (Not Anchor Steam- a different beer)
Bintang
Cheers
Gold Crown
Guinness
Heineken
Hennessy Cognac
Johnny Walker
kingway beer
Tiger
AB-INBEV
Bass Ale
Becks
Branik Special
Budweiser
Cass
Corona
Labatts Ice
Stella Artois
Three Horses
Carlsberg Family (includes Cambrew Ltd)
Angkor
Bayon
Black Panther
Carlsberg
Hite
Holsten
Lao Beer
Royal Stout Ginseng
Other beers/brands
Archer
Asahi
Bavaria
Black Beer
Blue Ice
Chang
Gold
Hollandia
Jade
Leo
Love Beer
Mittweida
Oettinger
Pax
San Miguel
Singha
Singha Lite
Taiwan
Valor
Zorok
Otard cognac
Jim Bean
Chateau Malesan (Fr.)
Randonal wine (Sp.)
Roberts Estate (AUS)
Srach Dom/ Muscle Wine (Cambodia)
So now you’re exasperated and wondering what CAN you drink?
-Fat Tire
-Hoptober (Seasonal and INCREDIBLE)
-Trippel
http://www.goodbeer.com/SWF/index.html
The brewery is Speakeasy- in SF and delightful!
-Prohibition Ale
-Big Daddy IPA
-Double Daddy Double IPA
And lastly, below is a quick and easy (though probably needs to be updated) guide to beer. It also takes into account more than just fair/direct trade and human labor issues… here are the standards to which the companies are judged by:
THE ENVIRONMENT: global warming, rainforest destruction, pollution, recycling, renewable energy, green washing, toxic waste, eco-innovations, illegal dumping, sustainable farming.
HUMAN RIGHTS: sweatshops, 3rd world community exploitation, international health issues, divestment, child labor, code of conduct.
ANIMAL PROTECTION: factory farming, animal testing, humane treatment, wild animal habitat.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: family farms, local business support, volunteer efforts, sustainable growth, philanthropic donations, nonprofit alliances, establishing foundations.
SOCIAL JUSTICE : health & safety records, fair wages, union busting efforts, fatalities, discrimination based on: race, gender, age, ability, religion, sexuality, ethnicity.
If you like this there is a website: betterworldshopper.com; an iPhone app and a book.
