Be sure to check out a great article in London newspaper The Independent today, “Fair Trade is growing - and working.” Sales of Fair Trade products grew 70% in the UK last year and 45% in the US. The global market for Fair Trade goods reached 1.6 billion pounds or about 3 billion dollars and helped to improve the lives of 7 million people who are taken advantage of in the conventional international economy.
Finally what is approaching a critical mass of consumers understands that the international economy is organized to the advantage of large goverments and corporations to the expense of the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged people. This is the way the world economy has always worked, though in the past those with power and advantage wielded it more brazenly. These days power and advantage are leveraged in backroom (or the “green” room at WTO summits) dealings that result in economic policy on domestic and international levels that further rig the system to the advantage of the rich and powerful.
While Fair Trade is not the permanent solution to these problems it is being recognized as an intermediary step that is very pragmatically helping the poor and disadvantaged gain a foothold in the world economy while educating consumers at the same time. Consumer choice is, for the time being, the sole check and balance on the inequalities of our gloabal trade system. The more consumers can band together to purchase ethically sourced products the quicker our demand for a democratic economy will be heard and ultimately addressed with a more concerted, unified and sustainable solution.
So, pass the word along to your friends and family, encourage them to educate themselves further on the power of their consumption and take heart because, hey, it’s working!
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