Some Stats (source)

• On average, an adult uses about 9 cosmetic & personal hygiene products a day, exposing themselves to about 126 chemicals daily.
• Women on average use about 12 personal care products a day with 1 in 4 using more than 15

Many of these products that we’re putting on our face and bodies actually have harmful chemicals that are not only damaging to the environment but also to ourselves. About a third of all cosmetic and personal hygiene products contains one or more ingredients classified as suspected or known carcinogens. And don’t forget, your skin is the biggest organ in your body and absorbs about 60% of everything you put on it. More from the environmental side, let’s not forget the packaging from each of these which is usually plastic or tons of cardboard.

So what is out there that is better for both you and the environment?

The people from Essência do Mundo have been working for a number of years now with environmentally friendly soaps, bath and beauty products which are excellent for those with a sensitive skin and environmental conscience. Found and based in the UK as a family business, Essential Care has been running its operations since 2003 with many years of non-animal testing behind them. Each beauty and personal care product has been approved by the Soil Association which guarantees the maximum possible organic ingredients have been used, the products are bio-degradable and free of chemical toxins, fragrances and artificial colors among others. And even better, all their products are packaged in recycled or recyclable materials so they are surely representing a more sustainable business. So what else needs to be known?

They sell anything from organic cosmetics, organic personal care products, organic candles to organic oils, diapers and cotton! These goodies can be bought online or at stores specialising in organic and natural products (contact apoio@essenciadomundo.com to find the store nearest to you). They were also kind enough to send some products for our successful Eco-Bingo at the Fair along with leaflets and samples, which people were almost fighting for. I don’t blame them. Everyone has a right to treat their body with natural products which don’t contain all these unnecessary toxins which other cosmetics companies seem to be obsessed with.

Taipa
Taipa is a technique used in the building of walls using the raw materials of mud, chalk, lime and gravel and has been used in the architecture of many cultures throughout the world. Because of the nature of the materials used, it is incombustible, thermally insulating and very strong and hardwearing. It also has the added advantage of being a very low cost and simple way to construct walls (source: Wikipedia).

To protect the walls, they will be covered with a waterproof layer of sand and lime. The technique used for this project, originates from the Alentejo region and was commonly used until the 1950’s. The unique method has been re-introduced and promoted by some municipalities, such as Odemira. Even special ‘Taipa-building’ workshops are organized. As the Algarve is known for its (minor) seismic activity, the units had to be built on a base of concrete and supported ‘conventionally’ by constructed pillars.

Going Green
As most building materials are extracted from the area itself, little transport is necessary to supply the materials and equipment. Due to the good insulation qualities of the material, less energy is required to maintain a pleasant and constant climate within the units.

Besides this ‘greener’ way of building the apartments, other measures are in place to turn the whole concept sustainable. Solar panels will generate sufficient power for the accommodation; an organic garden with a variety of fruits and vegetables will provide healthy and responsible food ingredients. Some rooftops will be covered by gardens; others will be covered with re-used tiles. And rather than building a common swimming pool, a biological pool will be constructed. Even the in-house furniture will consist of recycled materials and pieces. With respect to the water issue, a special Wastewater Garden will be constructed. This concept, where waste water is collected in a sealed tank and then flows to a special designed wetland where it is treated by gravel and special plants, has been originally designed by the Biosphere Foundation. The cleaned water can be used for irrigation and non-drinking applications.

3EcoBees were impressed by this project and of course we will continue to follow the progress of this unique development, which foresees its opening in June 2009. It is a good showcase of how more sustainable holidays can be developed, promoted and experienced.

Sr Lopes’ products range from organic tomatoes, carrots, apples and pears to organic wines. The range includes:

• two red wines
• one white wine
• one sweet; and
• one dry wine.

Hence there is enough to choose from. And best of all, they are all organic.

Now why should we choose organic wine?
Firstly, organic wine is made from organic grapes and they follow very strict criteria on how they are grown and don’t add flavours to their products.

Secondly, since no pesticides or chemicals are sprayed on the produce, they are much healthier and often have brighter flavours. They provide you with the same benefits any ordinary wine would do but without the extra sulfites and chemicals hence more natural and better for your body.

Thirdly: “Organic wine is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations” (USDA).

The same benefits that go with organic wine go with all other organic produce as well. Less chemicals means more natural which means better for you. There are a lot of organic produce out there these days and it is important for people to understand why they should choose organic. Mercearia Bio in Portimão sells only organic products online and delivers them straight to your door. Can organic get any easier?

(photo credit: Ryan Opaz)

They have adapted various different types of environmental practices in the management of their vineyard. One of these include cherishing the sun in Alentejo by letting 56 square meters of solar panels take care of all the hot water needs of the vineyard. To reduce their energy consumption, they have also installed energy saving lights and insulated their walls and roofs with specialist foam.

When it comes to managing the vineyard themselves, they produce under “Integrated Protection” rules in which only ’soft’ chemicals can be used and only after something appears; preventive spraying is not an option. Another sustainable movement, Cortes de Cima has adapted is a complete self sufficiency in terms of irrigation needs as water is used only from their own reservoirs (which are filled during the rainy months) and follows a ‘regulated deficit’ drip irrigation (ensures the grape quality by giving the vines less water than they want… Don’t ask me how this works. Sounds very interesting though!).

Since Cortes da Cima has adapted the same sustainable practices the 3EcoBees project support, they didn’t hesitate in donating us a few bottles of wine and olive oil for our Eco-Bingo nights at the Fair. I sure hope the winners of those bottles really enjoyed that wine, it is a very unique one…

(photo credit: jimpg2)

An appropriate definition follows:

“Sustainable Tourism in its purest sense, is an industry committed to making a low impact on the natural environment and local culture, while helping to generate income and employment for locals” (source).

Quinta da Fornalha is a perfect example of sustainable tourism located in the natural reserves of Sapal in East Algarve. This family business in the council of Castro Marim cherishes the Algarvian culture by its organic agriculture, accommodation for guests in refurbished traditional country houses and informative tours exploring the local fauna and flora. For about 100 years they have been producing organic milk products such as half-fat milk, half-fat yogurt and yogurt cheese with their “holsteinfrisiarr” animals. They are also established with other organic produces such as figo and olives and also in the near future in oranges. Last but not least, they also produce organic salt.

Alongside their delicious organic agriculture business, they run a sustainable tourism centre which allows guests to be accommodated in refurbished traditional farm houses. They can provide their guests which different types of activities such as visiting the agricultural sites, exploring Castro Marim’s cultural history and also seasonally guests can try collecting and drying aromatic herbs or collecting salt. Future plans also include a restaurant, an

organic food store and a natural Spa (one that I will most certainly visit!).

I know, sounds too good to be true. But it is. So it is worth a visit.

For more info, visit the Quinta da Fornalha website.

]]> http://3ecobees.com/blog/quinta-da-fornalha/feed http://3ecobees.com/blog/to-bee-or-not-to-bee http://3ecobees.com/blog/to-bee-or-not-to-bee#comments Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:07:53 +0000 Nancebee http://3ecobees.com/blog/?p=24 We already explained the colours of the 3 ecobees. But what about the ‘bees’ themselves? Are we talking about the honey making animals here or something else? When generating names for our initiative, we came up with an endless list of possibilities. In essence we agreed on the 3 elements (air, water, earth) and a way of life we are promoting: ‘to be green’ in all aspects and live a responsible life.

(photo credit: TW Collins)

Finally 3ecobees was chosen. The origin of the ‘bees’ is therefore more as ‘to be’ or ‘to act’ rather then the bees. Nevertheless we feel connected with the actual ‘bees’ as hardworking, dedicated creatures, producing a delicious product.

(photo credit: Tomas)

Our response:

“Jennifer, thanks for the write up on your blog about 3ecobees.com … I understand with all the green talk, some might assume green washing. However, rest assured this is not the case with 3ecobees. It’s unfortunate you didn’t research the project more closely as you would have seen your opinion on this project is rather incorrect.

I’m not going into detail what 3ecobees stand for, that’s clearly communicated on our site. But again you know this. A link to the 3ecobees site for your readers would have provided accurate information they needed to get the whole story instead of the distorted truth you chose to publish.

We would have been happy to address any questions or doubts you have about our project at the fair or at anytime. So it’s unfortunate that you’ve decided to take this route instead of contacting us to learn more about the project and how you could possibly contribute, rather than taking a bitter stab at a project that you clearly know so little about.

As I’m sure you understand, relocating to a new country has innumerable challenges, we are trying to do the best we can for our community and our business. We would be happy to support your projects and would appreciate the same consideration in return.

If you would really like to understand the project, we’d be happy to talk to you at any time.

3EcoBees“

Before we head down to Olhão to open our booth for one last time, we thought this would be a good opportunity to write this post.

In the past few days, we’ve shared the 3EcoBees story with curious strangers, new friends and partners and now, more than ever, it’s clear why 3EcoBees has formed.

(photo credit: Francisco Oliveira)

All across Algarve and Portugal, there are hidden treasures from ecotourism activities, culturally rich traditions, new investment opportunities that make Portugal a unique place to live, visit and do business with. BUT, these treasures are not always visible and there’s no clear map to help locals, tourists and investors discover them.

Sometimes, when everyone else is waiting for someone else to take the first step, you need to be the one to drive change. We like to think, 3EcoBees is the right step to promote and further develop the hidden treasures that make Portugal a unique country beaming with potential.

See you at the Faira for food, wine and eco bingo.

]]> http://3ecobees.com/blog/the-3ecobees-presentation/feed http://3ecobees.com/blog/3ecobees-logo-finalized http://3ecobees.com/blog/3ecobees-logo-finalized#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:42:36 +0000 mobee http://3ecobees.com/blog/?p=8 Given we had only a couple of days to design our 3ecobees‘ logo, we’re very pleased with the outcome - as it represents our organization’s image well.

Why 3 Different Coloured Bees?

1. Light blue = “air”
2. Dark blue = “water”
3. And Green = “earth”

We’re now dressed and ready to connect with businesses, organizations and individuals who share our goal and commitment of developing and promoting a sustainable Algarve and Portugal.