Wanting to minimise how much you spend on food so you can spend more of your student loan on what you actually want (alcohol, a new dress, a Blackberry, the list goes on…) is only natural. Obviously it’s tempting to go for the basic range when you step inside the supermarket, and it’s only benefiting them if you spend four times the price on a luxury brand carrot that isn’t wonky. So it’s easy to apply that school of thought to most brands of food and when supermarkets start charging next to nothing for bananas, of course they are pressurising suppliers to cut costs. When that supplier is Fairtrade it raises the issue that supermarkets are jeopardising their sales.
Price wars that impact the livelihoods of farmers and their families are not only pointless, but also lack altruism from supermarkets and us as consumers. Buying the cheaper bananas will save you fifty or sixty pence and it might seem sensible; it might even help towards your next beer, but it will also help towards someone getting dinner to feed their family one night. Until people see that, The Fairtrade Foundation can’t put their food prices down to compete with supermarkets because they have to cover all their costs, not just help farmers make a decent wage.
If more people buy Fairtrade the food will become cheaper and it will be more widely distributed since it’s cheaper to sell in bulk. So help by making the first step and buying a few Fairtrade alternatives to your regular sugar, rice and banana options amongst many other food products (and beauty goods too)! What you do will aid against large multinational organisations, which are able to use their market power to force low prices and unfair terms on farmers, and continue to reap big profits for themselves.
Fairtrade chocolate hasn’t just caused arguments with flatmates over the last chunk but also served to aid the cocoa farmers in Ghana. So next time you want to indulge in some chocolatey pleasure grab a bar at any of the University cafes or Union shops. The University also sells One water which aims to provide communities with wells for safe water. Consequently, come your 4pm lecture on a Monday if you still feel you haven’t made a productive attempt at the start of your week, buy a bottle of One. You won’t just be helping someone; you’ll be purifying your body after the alcohol binge over the weekend. If you’re not a fan of water there are other Fairtrade drinks available. There are so many Fairtrade products to try so go and see what’s at the Union or your local supermarket.
Under the Fairtrade certification scheme, farmers receive a fair price for their crop with minimum payments guaranteed. This enables communities to invest in healthcare and clean water facilities, as well as a place to live in. By buying Fairtrade you are encouraging more equal trading relationships, along with quality food.
