Fair Trade
I am not even going to pretend I have this category figured out. I am a long way from being truly simple, but this is one area in which I have a lot to learn. However, I had to mention it even though I am not as knowledgeable as I’d like to be. This area is truly convicting.
When Foster listed his ninth principle of simplicity as, “Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others,” I was shocked. I mean I have only begun to think about fair trade, and he wrote the book in 1978. I have a lot of work to do, but listen to this quote from “Celebration of Discipline” again goes back to the 18th century,
“Perhaps no person has more fully embodied this principle than the eighteenth-century Quaker tailor John Woolman. His famous Journal is redundant with tender references to his desire to live so as not to oppress others. ‘Here I was led into a close and laborious inquiry whether I…kept clear from all things which tended to stir up or were connected with wars;…my heart was deeply concerned that in [the] future I might in all things keep steadily to the pure truth, and live and walk in the plainness and simplicity of a sincere follower of Christ…And here luxury and covetousness, with the numberous oppressions and other evils attending them, appeared very afflicting to me….’ This is one of the most difficult and sensitve issues for us to face, but face it we must. Do we sip our coffee and eat our bananas at the expense of exploiting Latin American peasants? In a world of limited resources, does our lust for wealth mean the poverty of others? Should we by products that are made by forcing people into dull assembly line jobs? Do we enjoy hierarchical relationships in the company or factory that keep others under us? Do we oppress our children or spouse because we feel certain tasks are beneath us?”
Fair Trade and Simplicity?
So what’s the big deal? Why does fair trade walk hand in hand in simplicity? The God of the Bible displayed in the Old Testament and God in Jesus cares about people. Consider these words from Isaiah,
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Isaiah 61:1-3
Fair trade is important because hands down we are to Love God, Love People. <–Click to tweet. I want to honor God in the way I spend my money. I want the way I spend money to convey my beliefs to others.
Simple Ways to Get Involved
Buy locally. It benefits your area – helps local businesses trying to survive and begins to limit overseas projects that contribute to slave labor.
Buy products marked with the fair trade symbol.
Frequent places of business that aid others. For example, I love Seeds Coffee Company. It’s a coffee shop on fire for Jesus, and the coffee and products aid missions projects. Have you heard of Noonday Collection yet? I LOVE the concept of this company. When I saw it, I wanted to become an ambassador right away. I am not one, but I love what they are doing. They work with artisans around the world, take their products, sell them, and you can host a show as an adoption fundraiser. Both Seeds and Noonday support adoption and people in Uganda, which I love.
Here is current series on a 31 day crash course to Fair Trade. I haven’t taken the time to research fair trade and how I can make changes yet, so I plan to start here. I am excited to find this new blog.
How about you? What tips to you have for me today on Fair Trade? I need them – please share.
This post is one in a series of 31 days of Simplicity. To read other posts in the series, please click the icon below.
Photo Credit: Sharon Mollerus
Linking with these ladies: Cornerstone Confessions, Darlene, and Jacinda.
So funny, I just started thinking about this last night. I came across something talking about human slavery and read 40% of the world’s cocao supply comes from The Ivory Coast which is awful for child slavery. And we’re not talking low wages here, we’re talking children being ripped away from their family’s and forced into labor, often beaten all for my chocolate habit. The more I research it the more I’m convinced my coffee and chocolate MUST be fair trade. I’m getting ready to return some chocolate bars I purchased the other day to the store because I don’t want the companies involved making a profit off of me any more.
It’s the big companies too buying from the Ivory Coast, and it’s tragic. Last night I watched the documentary “The Dark Side of Chocolate” on Youtube and I’m going to be much more careful about what I buy in the future.
I will look into that documentary. Thanks for recommending it.
I have been purchasing fair trade chocolate bars lately – for myself, but now I need to look into Hershey’s and the kind of candy I would normally give out at Halloween to trick or treaters. Hmm. Thanks for sharing that information with me.
Fair trade is something I’ve only recently even heard about. I feel like its an issue I need to address, but it seems so beyond my scope…can I really fight a system this big? Does my buying of chocolate that is not fair trade (or not buying it) really make a difference? I guess I sort of feel like its the same sort of issue as not buying Pepsi or Starbucks because they support planned parenthood or gay rights organizations. Do boycotts really work? I dont know. It just seems like an insurmountable issue that I can’t really think about in our current financial situation.
You raise some valid concerns. It is overwhelming to me too, and I think it is important for me to state that. I don’t know how one person can do anything but when we band together we are a mighty people. I’m not sure how, but I know loving is always the right thing. It may be completely the same as the Pepsi or starbucks things – but I see it differently. Let’s be honest, I have to be driven by conviction to be moved to action especially in regards to chocolate. Thanks for making me think a little harder on this one.