Hello, my name is Sharon and I
write the Miss Beau Bangles ethical fashion and lifestyle blog. I was recently
asked by Pam to write a blog post for her Con-fused Arts website on why it’s
important to buy fair trade or ethical Christmas gifts. I jumped at the chance.
I have followed Pam’s work for a while now and the work of the Kazuri women
whose stunning jewellery she sells for even longer, and I admire both greatly.
So it is an honour to be asked to express my humble views on Pam’s website and
I hope I do the opportunity justice.
If you are a follower of
Con-fused Arts’ work then you are probably well versed in what fair trade is
all about, so rather than a descriptive article on the benefits of fair trade,
I’ve decided to make this a personal piece that explains my own motivations to take
a more ethical approach to my Christmas shopping. For me, there are three
reasons why I will be shopping as ethically as possible this year:
Fairer Distribution of Wealth:
For me, the single most important
reason for shopping more ethically this Christmas is an economic one. I want to see a fairer distribution of wealth in
the retail industry.
The Centre for Retail Research
reported that Christmas spending among consumers in the UK was an estimated £70 billion in 2012. This
includes money spent in shops and online. £3 billion of that figure was spent
on Boxing day alone.
Wow! That is a lot of money for
one tiny little island to spend on one celebration. The vast majority of this
money is spent in a relatively small number of large multi-national retailers,
whose profits are paid out to shareholders. We shop there because it is easy.
These retailers have lots of money to put on amazing TV adverts to show us what
they sell and to entice us into their readily accessible and beautifully
decorated stores to buy their products. And at this time of year, we could all
do with making our lives easy, right!
Yet there are many small
businesses in your local area, and in developing countries all over the world
who make and sell amazing products, but as a small business they struggle every
day to compete in a fierce marketplace. They don’t have large marketing budgets
and many can’t afford a bricks and mortar store on a high street, and so they
are not so accessible to us as consumers. To be found, they require a little
effort from us in seeking them out.
But why should we seek them out?
Well, as I already mentioned, there are some fabulous products out there, but
I’ll come back to this point later. The other reason is that, without our
support, these small business cannot survive, yet they are hugely important to
the economies in which they exist. In developed countries they create a
diversity in terms of the products available to us as consumers, they can often
offer a much more personalised level of service to consumers, and they provide
a more diverse range of employment opportunities for the communities in which
they are located.
In developing countries, small
businesses that operate with a fair trade ethos have an even more pronounced
importance. These businesses are empowering their employees and helping them to
move out of poverty, thereby improving the chances that they and their children
will have access to improved health, education and quality of life. In
developing countries these small, fair trade businesses can be a matter of life
or death for some people. To me, that’s got to be something worth keeping, and
if we want to keep them, they need our business.
Supporting Businesses that Value Human Rights:
My second reason for shopping
more ethically this Christmas is a human rights issue. For years we have been
reading about poor working conditions in the factories that supply many of our
largest retailers. However this year the issue has been brought into much
sharper focus after over 1,000 people were killed when the Rana Plaza building
collapsed in Bangladesh. Many more lost their lives this year in numerous
factory fires caused by unsafe working practices. And as BBC’s Panorama
programme, “Dying for a Bargain” recently revealed, some factories operate a compulsory
overtime policy that has people working as much as 18 hours per day.
When shopping on the High Street,
it is hugely difficult as consumers to know whether or not we are buying from a
store which uses factories that operate humanely and safely. For that reason, I
have chosen to make an effort where possible to seek out retailers who I can be
sure value the human rights of their employees and those in their supply chain
at least as much as they value profits. Surely, in this day and age, with the
vast wealth that exists, asking for employees to be treated humanely and not
like slaves is not too much to ask. The businesses that understand this are the
ones I want to spend my money with.
Gifts that Reflect the Essence of Christmas:
Thirdly, shopping more ethically
is a great way to find gifts that are the true essence of Christmas. I
mentioned earlier that small and fair trade businesses offer some fantastic products.
Many of these products are not widely available and so have a special
uniqueness. Many are handmade and so are truly individual. Many can be
personalised, and many have a fabulous story to tell, such as that of the
jewellery made by the Kazuri ladies.
One of the product stories I love, is of a group of Senegalese ladies who call themselves Groupement Takku Liggey.
These ladies lead a hand to mouth existence, selling things like fish, rice,
cold water and donuts at a local market to survive. A few years ago, with the
support of a woman from Edinburgh they began making products such as shopper bags,
tablecloths, and aprons using African print fabrics they bought locally. These
products are now being sold in small quantities in various countries around the
world, and with their first profits the ladies have bought two cows for the
co-operative to rear and sell, bringing benefits and further income to be
shared among the community. You can see one of the women pictured above with
one of the cows. Isn’t that a wonderful smile!
Now imagine the faces of your
family and friends as you give them their ethical gift and they hear the story
behind it, appreciate its uniqueness and admire the craftsmanship that has gone
into it. By taking a little time to look beyond the major retailers this year, I’ve
uncovered some wonderful products with some wonderful stories, and I’m sure you
will to.
How to get Started
I hope after reading this blog
post you are feeling at least a little inspired. If you are, then you may be
wondering how to begin shopping more ethically this Christmas. If you are
looking for jewellery, of course Con-fused Arts is a great place to start. Over
at Miss Beau Bangles I have written a blog post that makes some suggestions for
great ethical Christmas gifts, including a fair trade recipe book, bamboo
socks, and a recycled tyre wallet from Traidcraft; jewellery from Con-fused
Arts and Miss Beau Bangles; and an eco-soy candle from Robin & Rose. Why
not try doing an internet search for “ethical gifts”, or if you know what you
are looking for, try sticking the word ethical or fair trade at the start of
your search term. You might also want to seek out some blogs that have an
ethical focus, as these are a great source of advice and inspiration. Facebook
has some fabulous businesses selling fair trade and handmade products so why
not follow a few.
Whatever route you choose, I hope
your friends and family love their ethical gifts, and I hope you all have a
truly wonderful festive period.
Sharon x
www.missbeaubangles.co.uk
