Fair trading in a capitalist market
What is fair trade?
Fair trade is the most humane and ethical way for a company to obtain imported products and goods. It is a movement that offers customers an alternative choice when it comes to buying everyday commodities, unique and artistically crafted gifts, house ware and much, much more. It gives disadvantaged artisans and cultivators in underdeveloped countries the opportunity to offer their products to the worldwide market, while receiving fair and respectable wages in return. Most importantly, the fair trade movement is a genuinely constructive step in the direction towards fairness and equality, economic stability and social justice worldwide.
While corporations are dissolutely persuading, well, more like brainwashing, Canadians to buy into their “great quality” and “great prices”, Third World countries are becoming poorer than ever. Not only have big corporations invaded the villages and lush farmlands of what used to be the most peaceful and beautiful tropical lands in the world, they have destroyed any possibilities of these Third World countries surviving through their own culture's ways of living. In fact, these companies are making it almost impossible for these people to survive, period. By taking over and forcing control of the exportation of foreign products such as, fruits, vegetables, and other natural resources, powerful corporations are becoming richer. The profit they obtain from other countries' own resources, they greedily and corruptly keep to themselves, and let only the smallest, most pitiful amount trickle back down to the hardworking, slave labourers. The “wages” these backbreaking slaves are paid are barely enough to put food on the table and support their families.
As a student, a reader and a voice for a better future and a better world, you have two choices. You can finish reading this article, pushing away any feelings of guilt and pity, because it's just so much easier to pretend such social injustices and violations against human rights do not exist. You can say to yourself “Oh, that's too bad,” and shrug it off, or, you can do something about it. You can stand up against these cowardly corporations. You can decide that you are going to get back in touch with your true and natural humanity and make a change that can positively affect the world for years to come. There is a way that you can support fair trade, and it's here in London.
From jewelry to chocolate, from books to apparel, London offers a wide range of unique and authentic fair trade products. I went around London to find the best fair trade shops for those of you who are interested in being a part of a global movement towards equality.
To begin, the most obvious spot is Ten Thousand Villages, located on Richmond Row. This one of a kind shop offers products from all across the globe. Every product is sold through fair trade. The store is run by 17 volunteers, with only three staff members who get compensated monetarily. While most gift shops aim for a high and increasing profit with each year, Ten Thousand Villages aims for less than five per cent profit a year. With the company's diminutive profit, the crafts persons of these magnificent products get paid 100 per cent. Yes, 50 per cent for the materials, and then another 50 per cent for the finished product. If you are a coffee or tea lover, you'll be happy to know that this shop offers decadent coffee beans, and ground coffee and teas. From green tea, to earl grey, chai to black tea, they have it all. To top it off, they offer free samples of these beverages, so you can get an idea of what flavour you prefer. This shop offers gifts that you could find nowhere else. Whether you're looking for kitchenware, apparel accessories, candles, books, you name it, Ten Thousand Villages can offer you the most ethical gifts for anyone on your shopping list.
Another great fair trade gift shop is the Magic Mountain Trading Company. Also located on Richmond Row, this store offers a wide range of gifts for literally anyone, and everything in the store is sold through fair trade. If you are interested in finding fair trade clothing, this is the right place to look.
Once again, to address the coffee lovers, there are a several superb coffee shops located around London that offer fair trade coffee, both on tap and packaged to take home. The Little Red Roaster, with its two locations downtown, one in Wortley Village and one in the London Public Library, offers several different varieties and flavours of fair trade coffees and teas. Another fair trade coffee shop is located in the Covent Garden Market. Hasbeans offers fair trade coffee beans, roasted and unroasted. To reach even further into the fair trade movement, Hasbeans offers Aroma Nica, coffee that comes from Nicaragua. Hasbeans themselves deal directly with the growers in Nicaragua. The Oasis, right here on campus in the Student Centre, also offers fair trade coffee in a variety of blends.
Last, but definitely not least, is The Body Shop. Most of you readers probably already have an idea of what The Body Shop is and what it has to offer, but did you know anything about their fair trade methods? Every product in the Body Shop contains at least one fair trade product! A favourite of many Body Shop shoppers would be their body butters, and you'll be happy to know that the shea butter and cocoa butter these lotions contain come from Ghana through fair trade. As well, several of their facial products, scrubs, hair products and make-up products all contain fair trade products from countries like Australia, Zambia and Brazil just to name a few.
You have the option of making the right choice, and to make a difference for people less fortunate than us here in North America. You have the choice to be heard and to spread awareness about the positive and moralistic concept of fair trade. You too can be a part of this movement.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
Fair trade is the most humane and ethical way for a company to obtain imported products and goods. It is a movement that offers customers an alternative choice when it comes to buying everyday commodities, unique and artistically crafted gifts, house ware and much, much more. It gives disadvantaged artisans and cultivators in underdeveloped countries the opportunity to offer their products to the worldwide market, while receiving fair and respectable wages in return. Most importantly, the fair trade movement is a genuinely constructive step in the direction towards fairness and equality, economic stability and social justice worldwide.
While corporations are dissolutely persuading, well, more like brainwashing, Canadians to buy into their “great quality” and “great prices”, Third World countries are becoming poorer than ever. Not only have big corporations invaded the villages and lush farmlands of what used to be the most peaceful and beautiful tropical lands in the world, they have destroyed any possibilities of these Third World countries surviving through their own culture's ways of living. In fact, these companies are making it almost impossible for these people to survive, period. By taking over and forcing control of the exportation of foreign products such as, fruits, vegetables, and other natural resources, powerful corporations are becoming richer. The profit they obtain from other countries' own resources, they greedily and corruptly keep to themselves, and let only the smallest, most pitiful amount trickle back down to the hardworking, slave labourers. The “wages” these backbreaking slaves are paid are barely enough to put food on the table and support their families.
As a student, a reader and a voice for a better future and a better world, you have two choices. You can finish reading this article, pushing away any feelings of guilt and pity, because it's just so much easier to pretend such social injustices and violations against human rights do not exist. You can say to yourself “Oh, that's too bad,” and shrug it off, or, you can do something about it. You can stand up against these cowardly corporations. You can decide that you are going to get back in touch with your true and natural humanity and make a change that can positively affect the world for years to come. There is a way that you can support fair trade, and it's here in London.
From jewelry to chocolate, from books to apparel, London offers a wide range of unique and authentic fair trade products. I went around London to find the best fair trade shops for those of you who are interested in being a part of a global movement towards equality.
To begin, the most obvious spot is Ten Thousand Villages, located on Richmond Row. This one of a kind shop offers products from all across the globe. Every product is sold through fair trade. The store is run by 17 volunteers, with only three staff members who get compensated monetarily. While most gift shops aim for a high and increasing profit with each year, Ten Thousand Villages aims for less than five per cent profit a year. With the company's diminutive profit, the crafts persons of these magnificent products get paid 100 per cent. Yes, 50 per cent for the materials, and then another 50 per cent for the finished product. If you are a coffee or tea lover, you'll be happy to know that this shop offers decadent coffee beans, and ground coffee and teas. From green tea, to earl grey, chai to black tea, they have it all. To top it off, they offer free samples of these beverages, so you can get an idea of what flavour you prefer. This shop offers gifts that you could find nowhere else. Whether you're looking for kitchenware, apparel accessories, candles, books, you name it, Ten Thousand Villages can offer you the most ethical gifts for anyone on your shopping list.
Another great fair trade gift shop is the Magic Mountain Trading Company. Also located on Richmond Row, this store offers a wide range of gifts for literally anyone, and everything in the store is sold through fair trade. If you are interested in finding fair trade clothing, this is the right place to look.
Once again, to address the coffee lovers, there are a several superb coffee shops located around London that offer fair trade coffee, both on tap and packaged to take home. The Little Red Roaster, with its two locations downtown, one in Wortley Village and one in the London Public Library, offers several different varieties and flavours of fair trade coffees and teas. Another fair trade coffee shop is located in the Covent Garden Market. Hasbeans offers fair trade coffee beans, roasted and unroasted. To reach even further into the fair trade movement, Hasbeans offers Aroma Nica, coffee that comes from Nicaragua. Hasbeans themselves deal directly with the growers in Nicaragua. The Oasis, right here on campus in the Student Centre, also offers fair trade coffee in a variety of blends.
Last, but definitely not least, is The Body Shop. Most of you readers probably already have an idea of what The Body Shop is and what it has to offer, but did you know anything about their fair trade methods? Every product in the Body Shop contains at least one fair trade product! A favourite of many Body Shop shoppers would be their body butters, and you'll be happy to know that the shea butter and cocoa butter these lotions contain come from Ghana through fair trade. As well, several of their facial products, scrubs, hair products and make-up products all contain fair trade products from countries like Australia, Zambia and Brazil just to name a few.
You have the option of making the right choice, and to make a difference for people less fortunate than us here in North America. You have the choice to be heard and to spread awareness about the positive and moralistic concept of fair trade. You too can be a part of this movement.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
