During some research on all things "sustainable/green/eco-friendly" I came across a couple other phrases that caught my attention, words like "fair trade" and "slave free". I began to ask myself, do I really know where my money is going? Do I know who is making the things that I'm purchasing, and what conditions they're made in?
According to the Internation Labour Organization, more than 12.3 million people around the world are forced into labor (slavery), and it is estimated that over half of these individuals are under the age of 18. Many of these children are taken from their homes or sold by their parents into slavery. Others, desperately in need of a job, are lured in by promises of payment then forced to work in sub par, often abusive conditions, with little or no pay and are not allowed to leave.
Before you think this has nothing to do with you, maybe you should know that some of the biggest corporate offenders in recent history who have used these sweatshops are names you know. Companies like Wal-Mart, Nike, Gap, Levi, Prada, etc. etc.
Do you know where your coffee and your chocolate come from? Farms where cocoa and coffee beans are grown are some of the worst offenders. Think about it. If you're paying $4 for your cafe mocha, you might expect some of that money to get back to the people who grew the beans in the first place right? You might even be taking it for granted that it does (I did). But is it certified Fair Trade? Do you know for sure?
Here's the biggest question: Do you even care?
I can't tell you how many times I've suggested to people Fair Trade products and given them a brief account of why only to have them say something like, "well, I don't care...they're more expensive and I can't afford that/it's inconvenient to get to where I can buy those products/but I really like that product."
The question I ask myself is "If I can't be reasonably certain that this product arrived here without having abused, mistreated or taken advantage of those who have been involved in it's production, then do I really need it?"
Can I cut back on how many things I buy, or change the brands I use so that I can spend a little more on products that protect the rights and lives of the people involved in making them?
Proverbs 31:8-9 says:
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy"
If we are Believers, we have the respnsibility of speaking for the rights of those who have no voice.
In America we have a right to speak out on all kinds of things, but shouting only gets us so far. Let your money do the talking. If we refuse to spend our money on products made in sweatshops, and spend it instead on Fair Trade products, which type of business will grow as a result? It might be harder to find and more expensive now, but if our dollar demands it over time the choices will continue to become more plentiful and the cost will go down.
PS. It IS more expensive to buy products labeled Fair Trade/Slave Free/Organic etc. but that's because nobody in the chain is being ripped off. I can live with that.
My challenge to you is simple, do a tad bit of research. This Christmas, hit up some of the amazing websites that offer beautiful, quality, unique gifts that give people in the Third World hope for a better tomorrow. Refuse to buy coffee and chocolate that uses slave labor. If you're up to it, send a letter to the companies whose products you are leaving behind telling them why and asking them to make better production choices.
Here are some fantastic sites that can help make this decision a little simpler to act on:
Research:
www.fairtradefederation.org
www.organiconsumers.org
www.transfairusa.org
Products:
www.tenthousandvillages.com
www.uncommongoods.com
www.963coffee.com (this is some of the best coffee out there!)
www.amaniafrica.org
www.americanapparel.com
www.giftswithhumanity.com
