When we are out purchasing gifts for friends and family, we often do our best to select those gifts that will touch the hearts of the people we are giving them to. We therefore do our best to select those gifts that are unique, exhibit fine craftsmanship and high quality. However we hardly ever stop to think about the level of work that goes into making these items. We also do not think about the compensation the laborer has got for the work.
This is where the Fairtrade Foundation comes in. This organization ensures that the laborers are given their due compensation for the work they put into the products. You will therefore be ensuring that laborers are not exploited when you purchase Fair Trade gifts.
We often come across news in the newspapers and TV about workers from disadvantaged communities being exploited. These laborers work under the worst conditions imaginable and produce some of the most beautiful works for sale. This abuse has been on the rise all over the world with increased consumer spending. More stores are doing their best to ensure that they spend as little as possible to manufacture their products so as to ensure that they make the largest profit possible even if they sell their products at what seems to be a throwaway price.
Exploitation occurs in various countries including those in Asia, Africa and South America. The laborers often work for seven days a week in twelve hour shifts. The returns for their labor are often not enough to sustain their lives as well as those of their families.
However, the Fairtrade movement is seeking to put a stop to this. The foundation seeks to ensure that communities are given proper compensation for their labor. When you purchase Fair Trade gifts you will therefore be promoting this ideal. Products that the movement supports include a Fairtrade trademark to show that the products were produced processed and distributed under fair conditions to laborers and the community as a whole.
You will not only be promoting fair treatment of laborers in other communities, you will also get what you want. The products on Fairtrade are of high quality as they are produced with the international community in mind. The communities therefore strive to meet the standards set by international trade markets to ensure that their products are acceptable.
Many people purchasing products such as artwork or handicrafts from other nations are usually concerned with the background of the products. There have been very many stories of exploitation and its promotion via the purchase of these products. Many consumers do not want to be party to these acts. Purchasing Fair Trade gifts ensures that you can do so with a clear conscience.
