Most of the time, we live our lives and never even think twice about what items we are using every day and who makes them. Big companies commonly employ workers in other countries where labor is cheaper and workers have fewer rights in the workplace. As market demands increase so does the profit to the company. The Fair Trade campaign is designed to help people who care about where their products come from become more aware.
Even though a variety of laws exist that relate to Fair Trade issues, it is essentially a social campaign that fights for improved trading conditions in 3rd world nations. The fair trade movement creates policies against prison labor, child labor and the use of workers who are being forced to work against their will. At the same time the fair trade movement seeks to encourage environmentally responsible and sustainable production as well as fair pay to workers. Thanks to this movement, workers in 3rd world nations are getting more money for the jobs they do, which means they can better support their loved ones and contribute to an improving economic situation in their immediate areas.
More and more items are becoming available under the Fair Trade movement thanks to better awareness and increased desire for products that have been ethically manufactured. The major products that are currently manufactured include alcoholic beverages, tea, coffee, grocery products, and cotton-based products such as shirts and sheets. Even though the world economy took a hit, the sales of certified Fair Trade products went up about twenty percent last year despite being only a fraction of the consumer goods created around the globe.
Purchasing a fair trade t shirt, for example, is going to be a bit more expensive, but they are of superior quality, which makes them extremely durable. They are completely opposite of the cheap, mass-produced shirts that must be replaced on a regular basis. The positives of Fair Trade clothes are extremely numerous, while the negatives are few.
When buyers buy fair trade goods, the goal is to protect the producers in developing countries against the instability of market prices. A portion of profits generated from manufacturing is used to construct services for local communities like medical, educational, and environmental projects with the hope of breaking the cycle of poverty in these areas.
In addition, the movement is committed to promoting environmentally friendly merchandise, making use of organic materials and sustainable textiles. Conventional cotton production wastes huge amounts of natural resources, relies on the heavy use of harmful chemicals, and has a negative impact on the health of the workers and also the local environment. Fair Trade production is working towards much more sustainable practices that enhance the atmosphere.
As customers, we can make far better socially conscious choices by buying goods manufactured with fair trade principles. As this motion in the direction of ethical commerce grows, everybody comes out as a winner.