Purchases for a fairer world
Chocolate, coffee and a nice cup of tea are just some of the things we wouldn’t want to live without, so it’d be amazing if our essential items also helped make the world a better place.
Well the good news is….with a teeny bit of know how, they can! Keep reading to find out how to use your purchases to create a fairer world.
Better lives
Buying a product with one of the certifications listed below means you’re demanding support for the people who produced it. Support that includes decent living and working conditions, fair terms of trade and for producers and their communities to have more control over their futures.
The average Brit will consume 7,560 chocolate bars in a lifetime.1 Let’s make these bars fair!
Environment
It’s not just people who benefit from most of these certifications, the planet does too! Your purchases will encourage environmentally sustainable agricultural practices, such as the development of nutrient-rich soils which support healthy plants.
Quality
As well as being sustainable,ethically certified items are often great quality because producers have access to the right training and equipment to enable them to, for example, grow a superior crop, or produce a high quality garment.
Better education = better quality goods!!
Global Goals
In September 2017, an historic agreement was signed by UN member nations agreeing to work towards 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development by 2030, otherwise known as the SDGs.
Achieving these ambitious goals will require action from governments, businesses, NGOs, and individuals alike. We can - and must - all play our part.
By making the 'Fair enough' pledge, you are contributing to the following SDG targets:
1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance
1.5: By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters
2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality
8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms
8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment
10.1: By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average
12.8: By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
How
- Buy from independent makers who you know hold social and environmental responsibility as a priority! It’s not always feasible for small producers to become certified - it’s an expensive and difficult process! Don’t be afraid to ask - independent makers are usually very happy to tell you their ethical story.
2. Look out for ethical certifications. There are many out there, so we’ve compiled a list below of some of the best ones. No matter what you’re purchasing, we hope this helps you to navigate your way to a fairer world:
- Fairtrade: Fairtrade certified products are sold in over 80 countries, and include many of our favourite things, such as chocolate, tea, coffee, cotton, avocados, bananas, blueberries, ice cream and even gold!
- B Corp: The B Corp certification is to businesses what Fairtrade is to products. It requires businesses to meet higher standards of social and environmental performance across the board, leading the way in making business a force for good. Some leading B Corps include The Body Shop, Pukka Herbs, Ben & Jerry’s, and Method. Browse the full B Corp directory.
- Rainforest Alliance Certified: Products bearing the Rainforest Alliance’s frog certification have met their standards for social, environmental and economic sustainability. From tea to tissues, hotels to roses, find Rainforest Alliance Certified products.
- Fair Wild: This standard ensures sustainability for wild plants, and protection for those who collect and trade in them. Check out what you can do for the wild plants that we use every day.
- Fair for Life: Although less well known, Fair for Life is no less thorough. To certify, every organisation in a product's supply chain must meet their standards, from farm to sales team, no matter where in the world they are.
When looking at the wider environmental impact of the products you’re buying, here are some other good labels to look out for:
- FSC - sustainable timber and derived products, such as paper and card
- MSC - how about making the pledge to eat sustainable fish
- RSPO or Green Palm - make the pledge to buy products using sustainable palm oil
- Soil association - certified organic
- GOTS - organic clothing
Success Stories
526
Pledges
in total
1,114kg
CO2
pledged
References
Images
Background photo on "Quality" section copyright of Twin and Twin Trading, MCHINJI farmers, via Creative Commons. View original.