What is Fair Trade? Shopping That Makes Everyone Smile
"Fair trade" might sound complicated, but it's actually a very simple and wonderful "system" that makes everyone happy.
For example, imagine you're buying chocolate at a store. The cocoa beans used in that chocolate were grown by people in distant countries. Fair trade ensures that those cocoa bean farmers receive enough money to live properly and don't have to work under unreasonable conditions—it's about trading with proper agreements (prices).
If cocoa beans were purchased at extremely low prices, the farmers would face serious problems. They might not be able to make a living, their children might not be able to attend school and might have to help with farm work instead. They might also use harmful chemicals that pollute the soil and water in an attempt to increase their harvest.
But with fair trade, there's no need to worry. It's a system that supports producers so they can live securely and grow crops using environmentally friendly methods. Choosing products with the fair trade mark is like sending a message saying, "Thank you for making this! Keep up the good work!" It's similar to voting for someone important to you. Your small purchase connects to someone's smile in a distant country and to the future of our planet.
The coffee beans, bananas, and chocolate we regularly consume are often grown by hardworking people in distant countries. However, under traditional trade practices, their efforts haven't always been properly valued, leaving many in poverty.
Imagine how you would feel if something you worked hard to create earned you only a pittance. You'd struggle to support your family and send your children to school. Fair trade was born to eliminate such sad situations. It not only ensures crops are purchased at fair prices but also helps farmers improve their cultivation methods and provides funds (premiums) to build schools and hospitals in their communities. This allows producers to work with peace of mind, children to receive education, and entire villages to prosper.
Fair trade isn't something extraordinary. It's as simple as looking for the fair trade mark during your regular shopping. That alone allows you to help make the world a better place.
What If Your Choices Are Taking Someone's Smile Away?
What If Your Choices Are Taking Someone's Smile Away?
Kamakura City has been certified as Japan's 7th Fair Trade Town.
The sweet chocolate, aromatic coffee, and soft cotton shirts we casually pick up every day—do you know about the reality behind their production? In farms in distant countries, young children might be forced into dangerous labor instead of attending school. Producers might be unable to escape poverty despite their hard work, not receiving fair compensation for their efforts. And excessive use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, prioritizing profit, might be quietly damaging our irreplaceable environment.
What if the products you choose simply because they're "cheap" are actually built on someone's sacrifice? What if, behind that low price, producers' dignity is being trampled, children's futures are being stolen, and the Earth is crying out in pain? Shouldn't we refuse to turn a blind eye to this reality? We need to stop and consider how our small daily choices might unknowingly be supporting unfair structures somewhere in the world.
