Saving the world one latte at a time
One of the great inequities of the global economy is that corporations based in wealthy nations can often dictate the terms of trade with producers in poorer nations, maximizing profits from the arrangement at the expense of living wages for the producers. Nowhere is this inequity worse than in agricultural production of commodities—things like coffee, tea and chocolate.
As an example, the average coffee farmer receives just 2 cents from the price charged for a $3 latte, according to TransFair USA. This kind of inequity means that 4.1 billion people in the world live on less than two dollars a day, according to the Fair Trade Federation.
What if you, by yourself, could short circuit this process just by making a conscientious choice about the products you decide to buy in the grocery store or online?
You can if you buy products certified fair trade by independent, third party organizations like TransFair USA. Located at http://www.transfairusa.org/, the organization is the only third party certifier of fair trade products in the United States. Fair trade is a worldwide movement to directly pay producers in developing countries a fair price for their goods. By paying a fair price, these producers are able to escape poverty and debt and establish financial stability.
TransFair USA offers a database of fair trade retailers at http://www.transfairusa.org/content/WhereToBuy/.
If you are looking for something specific, a quick web search can reveal links to hundreds, sometimes thousands, of businesses selling fair trade products. With a little legwork, you can identify local businesses that sell fair trade products in your area. If online shopping is your thing, here are a few places you can start:
- http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/home.php
- http://shop.equalexchange.com/
- http://www.globalexchangestore.org/
By making such an effort, you can enjoy the fruits of the labor of producers around the world and change their lives at the same time. There isn’t a much better trade than that.
Do you have an idea for a future Tech Talk? Let me know at dhitzeman@sinclairclarion.com