I think that I’ll… save the world.
So Fair Trade chocolate has been out in stores for a while now. There was a big hoo-haa about it when Cadbury made the public claim to fair trade fame by ensuring their milk chocolate blocks were accredited fair trade earlier this year.
“Fair Trade?” you ask.
“Of course!” I say.
Basically, Fair Trade (FT), is the certification by a third party to say that all practices involved in that product are of humane standards, particularly that they do not involve trafficking or slavery. These are two very large issues in the international community, that you may not realise you’re involved in, and the difference that you can make.
Trafficking, although outlawed in many countries, continues to exist where there is high consumer demand for cheap products in countries such as Australia, and this means more then just chocolate. Items such as tea and coffee, right through to the latest fashions and even the commercial sex industry.
It’s a huge issue to grasp, however a start has been made by getting the word out to start people thinking and taking actions to change the situation. The words ‘fair trade’ bring mainstream public awareness to human slavery, trafficking and equal opportunity rights for imported products. The hype has died down but the issues are certainly still there. To do your part, read on about the ‘Don’t Trade Lives’ (DTL) campaign hosted by World Vision.
The Trek against Trafficking component of the DTL campaign started back in 2008 when 150 Trek against Trafficking delegates from around Australia spent a week travelling to and from the Australian Capital Territory, bringing the issue of fair trade chocolate consumerism to all along the way. Participating in a range of activities from guest speakers, information sessions and study groups, delegates prepared and performed a final major visual stunt in front of parliament house, Canberra to finish off the trek. However that campaign is long since over. In February 2011, the Don’t Trade Lives campaign in association with the youth movement group of World Vision Australia, Vision Generation, will prepare to bring forward these issues and more at Trek Against Trafficking 2. This could be your chance to get motivated, active and spread the word about modern day slavery. You can make the difference!
For more information on fair trade and ethical consumerism visit:http://www.fta.org.au/
Read more about the 2008 Trek against Trafficking visit: http://www.vgen.org/2008/12/trek-what-success.html
And to apply for Trek Against Trafficking 2, visit: http://www.vgen.org/
