Know Magic

Meander through your nearby Tescos, and you’re looking at the benefits of a global market. One can buy just about any product at super-low costs. It could be dragon fruit from Laos or tea from Peru - it’s acquirable throughout the year. There’s never been a greater time in the history of humanity to be a consumer in the west. This has come about from intricate stock control and logistics, economies of scale, strong competitive forces, and possibly most importantly, the fact that many goods are located, and often produced, in the poorer nations.

That final reason is quite substantive, and very controversial. While western shoppers are purchasing clothing, food, drink and other items produced from the poorest nations at rock-bottom prices, workers and business organizations in these manufacturing countries are oftentimes short-changed in the process, and have no real sustainable business model as they are at the end of a very long line of middle men who order what they produce, how much, and how often. This extended line of middle men all get their pay too - meaning there’s not a great deal of money for the actual manufacturer.

Nonetheless, there’s assistance for these exploited labourers and businesses. Fairtrade is a movement that looks to give some power to these end-producing business organizations in the poorest nations of the planet. It looks to get rid of the middlemen, and pay the end-manufacturer a fair price for a product in a far more primary way. You might have seen Fairtrade items in your nearest super market. You’ll sometimes find they’re a bit more expensive, but by buying such ethical products or even ethical gifts - such as fair trade baby clothes - you will be pleased to know the manufacturer is operating in a sustainable business environment that not only pays them justly through a much more direct revenue flow, but it also allows them to reinvest in their company through greater profits, which actually contributes in a positive way toward these poorest areas of the world.