Fairtrade: is it really fair to ask us to look for this label?

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Published on Wednesday, 04 July 2012 21:53

Last Updated on 04 July 2012

Monica Costa

1 Comment

I used to view with suspicion all type of marketing around Fairtrade simply because I wasn’t really aware of what Fairtrade really was until my 5 year old son one day came home from school saying that we needed to buy only Fairtrade goods in order not to exploit the farmers …

Let me tell you that at first I was a bit upset as I thought the school was trying to brainwash my child on buying certain brands but then I did my research and I actually went to the bottom of the issue.

This is what I found out:

1) Millions of farmers depend on selling their crops to survive, but when prices drop it can spell disaster. If farmers earn less than it costs to run their farm, they face real hardship. Fairtrade makes sure that farmers and producer organisations get a fair and stable price for their products to help them support their families and invest in a better future.

2) It’s important that people about these issues because it’s only fair that the people who produce what we eat, wear and use should get paid enough to live on and a chance to improve their lives. And no-one has to do it alone.

3) Lots of schools supporting Fairtrade like my son’s school are doing a good job in getting involved and getting children to be sensitive towards this problem. This provides opportunities to enhance many areas of the curriculum and explore citizenship from a global perspective. It definitely gives pupils an opportunity to participate and take responsibility for their decisions (which is important in many other areas of life). It also encourages critical thinking, and offers opportunities for challenge and confidence building.

4) It’s not just ‘fair’ groceries that we can get these days but also cotton items. Check info on cotton producers. Very interesting indeed. Check also the video below. www.fairtrade.org.uk

5) If we all contribute a little bit eventually we will be making the world a fairer place – I might be a bit visionary but I truly believe in this.

I love the Fairtrade cotton advert. It really made me think.