Sweatshop labor and the Fair Trade movement have both been in the news sporadically since the 1990s and yet some people are still unaware of the basic principles of living a Fair Trade lifestyle. This is largely a result of the confusing stories and statistics that are published from time to time. However, there need not be confusion any longer. The basic advantages that living a Fair Trade lifestyle offers are really easy to understand. A few of them are outlined below so you can see benefits for yourself:
- Fair Trade increases farmer incomes in the developing world. The idea is to ensure that there are fewer intermediaries between the farmer and the buyer so that less money is leached out of the process by individuals and companies taking a cut. As such, the farmers get a better deal and are able to support their families effectively.
- Fair Trade encourages sustainability because it guarantees an income for farmers year after year. This helps to improve their farming practices and protects the environment because those farmers that take part have to agree to international laws of protection.
- Taking a stand against the sweatshop helps to reduce the incidence of child exploitation that occurs in areas of Asia and Africa and the increased income that heads into communities as a result of a fairer deal can actually help to improve facilities like education, medical services and community centers.
- Fair Trade and Sweatshop Free choices in the market do actually empower communities around the world to take their development into their own hands and become self sufficient. Improvements of this type would be impossible without Fair Trade.
Of course, the benefits above apply to the farmers and communities that the raw materials for Fair Trade products come from and not you as a consumer but you have the power to change peoples’ lives by making just a few changes to the types of products you buy and the way in which you live your life. These small Fair Trade changes for you mean the world to entire families elsewhere in the world.
Committing to a sweatshop free and Fair Trade lifestyle is not at all difficult. With a little information and a personal choice to take a stand against just a few of the world’s injustices, it could be the best decision you ever make. If you are looking for a place that could give you a helpful start then look no further because you can find everything you need to know right here.