The power of your purchase
The power of your purchase
2 April 2020
The purchase of Fairtrade and other ethically-produced Easter eggs and chocolate can, and is, changing the lives of farmers and children around the world.
We live in an age when it’s easy to make a difference in our world. No, really, I mean it.
Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic is sweeping through the world with devastating results. There is graphic and overwhelming evidence that global poverty is a daily life struggle for more than a billion people in the world right now, that there are more human slaves in our generation than ever before and that injustice seems to be rampant globally.
But that doesn’t mean we are powerless. Rather, we are the ones who have the power to turn the tables. We can use our resources and freedom as leverage for the poor and the voiceless. This is social justice – working to see the world become a better place, the place that God intended it to be when he created it.
You can start right where you are, today, to make a difference.
Take Fairtrade for instance. When you make the choice to swap to Fairtrade labelled chocolate, coffee and tea (available from your local Aldi, Woolworths, Coles and other outlets) you are joining a collective movement that is directly changing the lives of 1.2 million farmers in more than 60 developing countries.
Easter, which is fast approaching, is a particularly good time to consider swapping to Fairtrade chocolate.
Much of the world’s cocoa is harvested in West Africa, using a labour force of over 1.8 million children. This work is physically, emotionally, socially and morally damaging to children and deprives them of opportunities for education and development.
Not only does buying Fairtrade ensure the local producers are paid a fair price for their crop, but it also includes an additional payment to help the local community develop basic infrastructure such as fresh water, education and health services.
Other ethical chocolate brands, including UTZ and Rainforest Alliance, are taking steps to improve working conditions across their supply chains on a global scale.
Will choosing Fairtrade products cost you a little more? Probably.
Will choosing Fairtrade products take you a little more effort to find? Maybe.
Will it make a difference? It already has. Join the movement.
For more information on Fairtrade products, including sporting equipment, clothing, shoes, homewares and children’s toys, check out fta.org.au
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