As you might know, the world of trade has got its many pitfalls, due to the dynamics of the world economy. Oftentimes, big corporations and manufacturers move their production plants overseas, to countries such as China, India, or other South East Asian locations, among other places. The main benefit for them is that the workforce is significantly cheaper over there.
These companies can produce more for less, driving costs down and appealing to mass consumers. On the other hand, this creates some issues. Workers in countries where the cost of hiring is higher are struggling, and manufacturing is dying in places like the United States and Europe. In addition to that, worked in exploited countries are usually paid insanely small amounts of money, and they aren’t treated as fairly in terms of decent working hours and other benefits.
Fairtrade can change all that: it’s a way to make sure that workers get paid a fair wage and receive the right benefits, such as humane working conditions, good working hours, paid sick days and more. In addition to that, fair trade also enables more sustainability, since products and materials are sourced from more reputable providers, who care about people and the environment. Thankfully, many social entrepreneurs are becoming true trade warriors, leading the charge to change things! Shifting the whole of the world economy towards fair trade can be difficult, but ethical trade is possible!
