Commerce Without Morality... and it's impact on the humans of the world








As we examine the world around us, it is far too easy to pick and choose 'big deal' issues that impact each and everyone of us. These are issues that permeate through society and influence the way that we think, act or even buy.

Out of these big deal issues, today I have chosen to discuss the impacts of what we buy in our daily lives and how this then impacts other people all around our world.

According to the International Labour Organization, approximately 20.9 million people (or three of every one thousand people) are currently suffering in international labor trafficking.  Labor trafficking is best akin to what Americans think of as slavery prior to the Civil War in the late 1800's. It is manual labor, often times for no wage and is vicious cycle in which entire generations of families can be stuck in situations where they are working in terrible conditions for unimaginable hours and they cannot work themselves out of this circumstance.  Many times victims of labor trafficking believe that they have no other choice but to continue to work for their employer (if we can dignify these individuals who exploit others for their own gain by using the term employer).

Unfortunately, it is us, the consumer who continually perpetuates the victimization of individuals who are being trafficked and forced to produce goods and perform services. The consumer is at fault because as we, as a society demand more and more at lower and lower prices, the individuals and companies who produce the goods want to maintain their current level of profits and they do so by paying for labor at lower prices then they did in the past. We as consumers know very little about the practices of the large name brands that we purchase products from every time that we are at the supermarket or mall-- in other words, we purchase items without considering the broader consequences of consumption.

When we purchase something, our money endorses what a group has done in order to achieve the production of their product.  With our money we signal to producers that we approve of, and want more of , what their making-- including how they are making it.

What are you supporting with your resources? Where does the 100 dollars you spend at the grocery, shoe, or jewelry store go to?

This is where Fair Trade comes in.

Fair Trade is a certification given to certain products that do not use slave labor anywhere along the production line, and pay workers who are involved in the production of a certain product a livable wage-- meaning that a worker's children won't have to work as opposed to going to school in order to support the family.  Fair Trade is a tool designed to give consumers more information about the background of a product, much like a Food Product being designated as USDA Certified Organic. As a consumer you see the logo and you can then make a more education choice about the product you are purchasing-- about what you will endorse with your resources.



Here's a list of companies who have been featured as Fair Trade Certified Organizations. Among them the companies that you may find familiar are Patagonia and Ben & Jerry's.  I don't know about you, but in my head when I hear those brand names I think, "EXPENSIVE!".  Since organizations are paying workers a living wage, they also must charge more for their products in order make a profit for their business. So, by no means do I advocate turning your lifestyle of it's head in abandonment of your favorite ice cream that isn't fair trade certified.  However, I do encourage you to think more carefully and thoughtfully about what you purchase means in the big picture of the world.  Buy Fair Trade when you can and acknowledge when you can't in order to make your purchase the most educated and ethical one that you can.

By educating one another about thoughtful and wise consumerism we can turn commerce without morality into commerce with morality and a world with slavery into a world without slavery.

Until next time,

Jacob

Check out these Resources to learn more about Labor Trafficking and Fair Trade:

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