Why Buy Fairtrade In Kendal And The UK?

I know what you're thinking and some of you may not even give it a second thought. But why should you actively try to buy products which are based around fair trade and why aren't all products, food and manufactured, Fairtrade anyway?

The simple truth is that people demand cheaper products. We tend not to care where it comes from, who made it or how it was made until the truth is splashed across TV screens across the UK. Images of starving children, the direct results of workers not being paid enough money to feed their family.

Scenes of sweatshops in India and eastern Asia, with workers falling ill simply because they are overworked. Or even worse, a fire that has broken out in a clothing sweatshop and because it didn't have the correct fire safety, workers died. These are all direct consequences of employers, businesses and employees not receiving the correct wage and a fair price for the product they sell.

If you have a conscience, then you should care. It is a simple fact that as much as we wish every product could be fair trade, there are unscrupulous governments and businesses which take advantage of the needs of people in developing countries and because they don't wish to pass on the cost to customers and appear cheaper, they do all they can to keep profits up but costs down.

But the cost is often much dearer and the loss of life through starvation or being over worked. This is why fairtrade began and why it has such a monumental following across Kendal, the UK and the world over. People feel bad when consuming food or wearing clothes that have come from families who are barely making it through life.

The fairtrade organisation stipulates a variety of rules and standards before a product can attain the Fairtrade emblem. This gives buyers confidence that businesses and workers are attaining a level of life that they should expect from a decent wage.

In ensuring the global economy doesn't take advantage of farmers and manufacturers from developing countries, humans are helping humans survive the world over. It's quite correct that sometimes Fairtrade items can cost a little more than average items, but not in all cases. This only goes to show how much good you are doing by choosing Fairtrade over the questionable ethics of another retailer or manufacturer.