buy more fairtrade products

Action Aid recently exposed how workers at both ends of the supply ball’n’chain are being squeezed by Tesco’s hunger for offering low low prices. Not only are Costa Rican and Nicaraguan workers on the banana plantations given unrealistic targets and forced to work excessive hours for minuscule pay, with no right to organise and abuses of women’s rights commonplace, so too the migrant workers at the UK-based banana importer firm Pratts are similarly exploited. It may say ‘Fair Trade’ on the label, but it’s still more important for the supermarkets to maximise profits, minimise costs and sell ‘em cheaper than their rivals.

I wholeheartedly recommend this to everyone. I buy fairtrade products whenever they are an option. I would like to see a greater range of produce available and more farmers and producers in the third world being given a better deal. Although I am glad that I am now regularly doing this, it has really just awakened me to the concept that my life here in a rich country is not disconnected from the billions around the world living in poverty who are being exploited. This has inspired me to learn more and do more. I feel like many more people would feel the same if only the information we receive was not controlled or influenced by business. Next step for me is to think of a bigger and better goal. I want to make a difference.

“The G8 demands action on climate change; the World Bank, controlled by the G8 nations, funds coal burning power stations and deforestation projects. The G8 requests better terms of trade for Africa; Europe and the United States use the world trade talks to make sure this doesn’t happen. The G8 leaders call for the debt to be reduced; the IMF demands that poor nations remove barriers to the capital flows which leave them in hock. The G8 leaders simultaneously wring their hands and wash their hands. We have done what we can; if we have failed, it is only because of the corruption of third world elites.

The question is no longer whether the undemocratic power the G8 nations exert over the rest of the world can be used for good or ill. The question is whether it will cease to be used.” George Monbiot

Now I have sugar,chocolate,green tea,coffee and bananas on my grocery list. I am paying a premium for these products which is passed on to the farmers, I hope. The retailers especially and all of the middlemen are still in the chain and I am sure they are taking the same large cut they always have.

Recently I went to a cafe called Progreso which is run for the coffee growers. They own a share of Progreso, so they profit directly from the success of the business. It is their coffee sold in cafe www.progreso.org.uk

Already getting coffee and bananas. I’m going to add 2 more products to my regular shopping list and call goal this completed for now.

My local supermarket, Sainsburys is selling Fairtrade bananas so I’m buying them from now on. That’s coffee and bananas on the shopping list now.

I buy FT Ethiopian coffee regularly. It is excellent and it feels good to think where the money goes. Should find another product to stick on the shopping list. Any suggestions are welcome.