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The biggest of these in the Australian market include Nestle, JDE Peet's, and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. Many large Australian businesses, like Vittoria Coffee, also have a significant market share. While far from perfect, Fairtrade-certified coffee is a solid alternative. Farmers who are certified get a minimum price for their beans, protecting against unpredictability. They also receive a premium to invest in their business or local community. Another plus is the audits which aim to prevent child and forced labour, discrimination, and other poor work conditions. A more ideal solution is to buy from companies that both grow and roast the beans themselves. This cuts out the multinationals taking the profits and ensures equitable pay for growers. What you can do: Buy coffee that is sustainably grown and roasted here in Australia. Look for products with the certified Fairtrade symbol, preferable from from small, independent, Australian-owned roasters.

Pacific bluefin tuna populations are estimated at under 4 per cent of their pre-fishing levels. Oceanic shark and ray populations have declined by 71 per cent since 1970, and around a third are threatened with extinction. The primary cause of all of this? Overfishing. There are many ways in which the fishing industry adversely impacts aquatic life. The most straightforward is fishing a population beyond a sustainable level. This means that animals are being fished faster than they're replenishing, resulting in a population decline. Aquatic life is often thrown back after being fished, usually because they are too small or not the correct species. However, even this often causes injury or death because of rapid decompression, air exposure, and the stress of being captured. The plastic from fishing equipment is another issue. 45 per cent of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in weight is discarded fishing nets. This can be combated in a few ways. The most obvious is limiting how much fishing is done in the first place, particularly for species that are at risk. Government-mandated fishing quotas help, and we can do our bit by cutting or reducing our seafood intake. If you continue eating seafood, you should ensure that what you eat is sustainably sourced. Unfortunately, this isn't always easy. Manufacturers often name their products to obscure the underlying animal, such as using "flake" to describe shark. Aggregate products like fish sticks or patties also tend to include unsustainable seafood without the consumer realising. It's important to check the label and learn what products and species are sustainable choices. What can you do? Eliminate or reduce your seafood consumption. Tofu is a great protein-rich alternative. If you are concerned about omega-3, flaxseed, walnuts and algae oil are great substitutes. When buying seafood, use GoodFish: Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide to help you find the most sustainable options. Avoid species most at risk, such as shark products, rays, bigeye tuna, and southern bluefin tuna. Choose fish lower down the food chain, such as sardines and anchovies. Look for the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) logos. These certify that the seafood production occurred in a reasonably sustainable manner.

Donations under a specific monetary value do not need to be publicly disclosed. In 2021-22 this value was $14,500. However, this is per branch of the party, not the overall amount donated. Suppose one were to donate $14,500 to the national and eight state/territory branches of a political party. In that case, contributions of up to $130,500 could be given without it needing to be disclosed. The high threshold and potential for loopholes mean that around half of the private funding for the major political parties remains a secret. There have been calls to change the system, including a 2020 bill introduced by Senator Jacqui Lambie, however reform is yet to embaced by the major parties.  What you can do: Avoid buying from companies that take advantage of the system with large political donations. You can check this by searching the Australian Greens website Democracy For Sale. Check out Open Secrets to learn about political donations in the USA Support minor parties and independents trying to make the system more transparent and place a cap on political donations.

We recommend choosing garments that have specific sustainability features. See accredited businesses whose garments are made by local workers whose rights and working entitlements are being upheld and protected. Download the Australian Fashion Report See Travelling textiles: A sustainability roadmap of natural fibre garments report (2009)