Today – Why Pay Extra For Fair Trade Foods?
Many people can be put off the premium price of fair trade foods, but there are many reasons to choose these over non-fair trade foods.
The most obvious reason to support fair trade companies is the comfort of knowing that you’re buying into an ethical company that treats their employees well. There are many third world countries that still allow poor working conditions. This could involve forcing people to work long hours for minimal pay with no regard for comfort or health and safety. By opting for fair trade foods, you can be certain that the workforce that harvested and transported your food were fairly paid and fairly treated by employers.
Why Pay Extra For Fair Trade Foods?
There are however other reasons to opt fair trade when buying food imports. Such foods can often be healthier due to being more organic, they may be tastier due to having stricter regulations and they may even have links with charities helping you as a consumer to make a difference. Here are just several common food imports and the reason why you should opt fair trade.
Coffee
If you’re a regular coffee drinker, switching to fair trade coffee could guarantee that your beans are ethically sourced, environmentally friendly and in many cases tastier. The likes of this speciality coffee from Two Chimps Coffee not only gives proceeds directly to the farmer but also enforces strict quality control when it comes to choosing beans, so that you’re guaranteed a more delicious brew. You’re best always checking the label to see if a coffee is ethically sourced, or asking the barista if you are buying from a coffee bar.
Chocolate
Child labour is a big problem in the cocoa industry. By buying fairtrade chocolate, you can ensure that your cocoa was harvested by adults working under good conditions. There are a number of fairtrade chocolate brands out there, including luxury brands such as Green & Blacks. Stricter regulations often means less chemical processing and more natural sugar usage, making fair trade chocolate healthier than standard chocolate in many cases.
Sugar
If you thought the days of slaves working sugar plantations was over, you’d be wrong. Many sugar plantations around the world are still forcing workers to labour away for a pittance. By opting for organic sugar brands such as Wholesome Organic Cane sugar, you can be certain that you’re not supporting this type of labour. As with fair trade chocolate, much of this sugar is chemical-free and often healthier on top of being cruelty-free.
Fruit
A lot of imported fruit is also harvested by workers labouring under poor conditions for little money. With high demands for fruit, a lot of this non-fair trade fruit is also heavily chemical processed to preserve it longer. Fair trade food not only gives farmers a fair wage but is generally chemical-free. This could ensure that you’re getting the nutrients you need from your bananas.
Why Pay Extra For Fair Trade Foods? is a featured post – you might also like my post on how to make your life easier with meal planning
