I got a cool idea the other day of making a fairtrade New Zealand group.
Then adding all the places that sell fairtrade stuffs in New Zealand so people have more knowledge of where to find that stuff.
Kind of what I started doing here but it will be in an easier to access page :)
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Monday, December 15, 2008
Christmas this year
Just a video to watch today:
Showed it to a view friends and they liked it... It really gets you thinking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU
Showed it to a view friends and they liked it... It really gets you thinking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Micah Clothing
This is definitely a site worth visiting when you are looking for clothes.
Darren has done an awesome job marketing this business.
He is buying in fairtrade clothing and selling it at market prices. He isn't in it for his profit, but to promote fair trade. This is why the prices are so good.
And right now there is a sale!
www.micahclothing.co.nz
Get in fast and get your $20 fairtrade T-shirt
I bought one earlier in the year myself and will get another 2.
The thing is I didn't expect it to be any different to a normal T-shirt just that it was fair trade.
But it was different, the Tees are very soft and really comfortable. Which is really awesome, favourite T-shirt for sure.
Anyway check it out, yay fairtrade!
Darren has done an awesome job marketing this business.
He is buying in fairtrade clothing and selling it at market prices. He isn't in it for his profit, but to promote fair trade. This is why the prices are so good.
And right now there is a sale!
www.micahclothing.co.nz
Get in fast and get your $20 fairtrade T-shirt
I bought one earlier in the year myself and will get another 2.
The thing is I didn't expect it to be any different to a normal T-shirt just that it was fair trade.
But it was different, the Tees are very soft and really comfortable. Which is really awesome, favourite T-shirt for sure.
Anyway check it out, yay fairtrade!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
More on Fair Trade
In principle fair trade is certainly very good. But there are some unfortunate issues with it.
How much extra should you pay for fair trade products?
Because the problem is some profit companies will mark up these fair trade products greater than general products as they exploit fair trade as a marketing tool.
This is a real problem because consumers may get the idea that this extra they pay is going to the producer when it is not.
This really is exploitation by companies that can completely undermine the principles of fair trade
But there are ways to get around this problem.
I have found that most products are of almost the same price anyway. Fair trade sugar tends to be more expensive then its regular counterpart. Not sure why as of yet.
Chocolate can vary.
On one hand is the average tasting Scarborough fair which matches to Cadbury pricing.
But then there is the absolutely divine Trade Aid chocolate produced in Belgium, from cocoa produced in Ghana, which costs a bit more however.
My perspective on the matter is. You shouldn't pay more than 10% more for fair trade. Unless you feel you are getting something extra out of it.
Organic is also a consideration that needs to be taken into account.
Organic products are more important than I thought. I'm not worried about the health effects on myself. But I am worried about the ecological systems in developing nations which don't quite have the same regulation as we do here.
I have learnt this after watching a few videos and reading a few articles. Never thought of organics benefit in that way.
Another consideration you should take into account with clothing. Is that there is a double cost for ethical clothing production. Sourcing of ethical cotton and paying labour a fair wage.
And the last consideration should be whether the company is a not for profit or is profit making. What happens with the extra money? They normally tell you.
But yeah my general rule of thumb, don't pay more than 10% for fair trade unless you are getting something extra out of the product.
How much extra should you pay for fair trade products?
Because the problem is some profit companies will mark up these fair trade products greater than general products as they exploit fair trade as a marketing tool.
This is a real problem because consumers may get the idea that this extra they pay is going to the producer when it is not.
This really is exploitation by companies that can completely undermine the principles of fair trade
But there are ways to get around this problem.
I have found that most products are of almost the same price anyway. Fair trade sugar tends to be more expensive then its regular counterpart. Not sure why as of yet.
Chocolate can vary.
On one hand is the average tasting Scarborough fair which matches to Cadbury pricing.
But then there is the absolutely divine Trade Aid chocolate produced in Belgium, from cocoa produced in Ghana, which costs a bit more however.
My perspective on the matter is. You shouldn't pay more than 10% more for fair trade. Unless you feel you are getting something extra out of it.
Organic is also a consideration that needs to be taken into account.
Organic products are more important than I thought. I'm not worried about the health effects on myself. But I am worried about the ecological systems in developing nations which don't quite have the same regulation as we do here.
I have learnt this after watching a few videos and reading a few articles. Never thought of organics benefit in that way.
Another consideration you should take into account with clothing. Is that there is a double cost for ethical clothing production. Sourcing of ethical cotton and paying labour a fair wage.
And the last consideration should be whether the company is a not for profit or is profit making. What happens with the extra money? They normally tell you.
But yeah my general rule of thumb, don't pay more than 10% for fair trade unless you are getting something extra out of the product.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Fair Trade
What is Fairtrade?
Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.
Did you know that your coffee, chocolate, cotton in your T-shirt and Tea were most likely made by slaves, sweat labour and children?
Unfortunate truth today. But there is a solution.
Fair trade improves workers incomes by often prepaying them so they can buy things they need for production and giving them a much better price.
Fairtrade also collects a premium for these producers. Which helps them develop their economy by allowing them to build schools and improve their water supply. Sort of like a tax system, but instead it's a bonus. But serves the same purpose but gives things they actually really really need. Rather then things we might need.
Fair trade quite often pays 50%+ on top of the regular price of product. Cocoa farmers will get 4% of the selling price of a chocolate bar. Although I believe it should be higher, these steps are certainly favourable.
I have personally stopped eating Nestle, Mars and Cadbury Chocolate. I believe the only way to force them to clean up their act is to stop purchasing their products until they do. Whether they leave it to late will be interesting.
Chocolate is a luxury product, I don't need it so that was my first step.
Scarborough fair is now stocked in Woolworths supermarkets. Only problem is that it tastes horrible. However Trade Aid chocolate is the best I have ever tasted. There are fair trade stores everywhere across the country, I would recommend trying it.
I struggle to figure how Cadbury can be New Zealand's most trusted company.
Many secrets I guess :/
I know I didn't know for a long time.
There's some food for thought. (Oh man I'm really funny)
More to come on fair trade...
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Helping others
I talked to a friend yesterday. When you do something nice for someone, you feel really good about it. It is better then doing things for yourself.
But then why do we not help others as much as we could?
After talking to a friend we established that it's often because when we help others, we are helping people that we feel have a need. We feel good that we fill it.
The thing with giving to aid is that we can't see the results so much, we don't even know who we are helping. This is probably also why child sponsorship is much more popular then other forms of aid. Because people can actually see results.
Perhaps this also leads to the guilt tripping mentality, aid agencies have to bring in stories for us to actually have some form of compassion that drives us to help.
I look forward to going on a mission trip. I guess its about seeing things and not just taking someones word for it. Actually having that experience is greater than facts like half the world's population lives on less than $2 US per day.
We don't all need to go on mission trips having said that. I hope to keep some form of diary that I will blog up later about the experiences I have. Hopefully that will be better than just facts and my compilation of other peoples journeys.
But then why do we not help others as much as we could?
After talking to a friend we established that it's often because when we help others, we are helping people that we feel have a need. We feel good that we fill it.
The thing with giving to aid is that we can't see the results so much, we don't even know who we are helping. This is probably also why child sponsorship is much more popular then other forms of aid. Because people can actually see results.
Perhaps this also leads to the guilt tripping mentality, aid agencies have to bring in stories for us to actually have some form of compassion that drives us to help.
I look forward to going on a mission trip. I guess its about seeing things and not just taking someones word for it. Actually having that experience is greater than facts like half the world's population lives on less than $2 US per day.
We don't all need to go on mission trips having said that. I hope to keep some form of diary that I will blog up later about the experiences I have. Hopefully that will be better than just facts and my compilation of other peoples journeys.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Follow up on Miniature Earth
So for those that didn't actually watch it. The video is about the world being broken down from what it is today to only 100 people, keeping the proportions there is today. Then a story is told about these 100 people.
Here's the link again anyway:
Miniature Earth
I guess I will discuss some parts that shocked me
It starts with a continental breakdown
61 Asians, 12 European, 8 north American, 5 south American, 13 African and 1 Oceanian
Wow what a perspective, never thought 61% of the world was Asian :s
But if we make some rash generalisations that North America, Europe and Oceania are rich. And Africa, South America and Asia are poor.
Then we have 78 poor people, never thought there was actually that many in Asia though. A lot of Oceania is poor, southern Europe aren't too well off and Central America of which some is North America are impoverished. Although some of Asia is getting much better also.
9 are disabled. Wow never thought about something like that either, I guess this is just sad. The fact that 9% are unable to have a fully working body.
43 live without basic sanitation. Health is so vital, but we are talking just basic health here.
18 live without an improved water source. I find this statistic to be quite good actually from what I expected. But then improved from my perspective is quite a lot compared to an improved water source in Africa.
6 people own 59% of the communities wealth. Wow there's a big one. 6 own over half, that's quite a large wealth inequality.
But there's more to come on this...
13 are hungry, something we totally take for granted. We are almost never hungry, especially not to the extent that others are.
14 can't read, another thing I totally take for granted.
7 are educated at a secondary level, there we are in that top 7.
Only 12 have a computer, there we are again. But only 3 have a net connection, there's us
The community spends $1,200 billion US on military but only $100 billion US on development aid. I converted them to billions for comparison. This one really eats at me we are more keen to fight then to help :(
Here in New Zealand using Government budget info I worked out we spend $450 per person on military but $107 per person on foreign aid. That is just the government however, which should be pointed out.
If you have a cupboard to keep your clothes in, a refrigerator for your food, a bed to sleep in and a roof over your head then you are 1 of 25.
Wow crazy again we take that totally for granted :s
18 live on less than $1 US per day but that's not what hits me.
53 struggle to live on less than $2 US per day
Now that is one of my favourite as well as most hated statistics. I like it because it puts are better perspective on poverty, but I hate it too, things should not be this way :( Over half the world lives on less than $2 US per day!
So yeah this really hits me. I don't want to guilt trip or anything here. I just want to put things in perspective and in the near future I will post some things that we can do to help. It's all about discussing and helping to improve the situation. Just discussing it doesn't help many...
Here's the link again anyway:
Miniature Earth
I guess I will discuss some parts that shocked me
It starts with a continental breakdown
61 Asians, 12 European, 8 north American, 5 south American, 13 African and 1 Oceanian
Wow what a perspective, never thought 61% of the world was Asian :s
But if we make some rash generalisations that North America, Europe and Oceania are rich. And Africa, South America and Asia are poor.
Then we have 78 poor people, never thought there was actually that many in Asia though. A lot of Oceania is poor, southern Europe aren't too well off and Central America of which some is North America are impoverished. Although some of Asia is getting much better also.
9 are disabled. Wow never thought about something like that either, I guess this is just sad. The fact that 9% are unable to have a fully working body.
43 live without basic sanitation. Health is so vital, but we are talking just basic health here.
18 live without an improved water source. I find this statistic to be quite good actually from what I expected. But then improved from my perspective is quite a lot compared to an improved water source in Africa.
6 people own 59% of the communities wealth. Wow there's a big one. 6 own over half, that's quite a large wealth inequality.
But there's more to come on this...
13 are hungry, something we totally take for granted. We are almost never hungry, especially not to the extent that others are.
14 can't read, another thing I totally take for granted.
7 are educated at a secondary level, there we are in that top 7.
Only 12 have a computer, there we are again. But only 3 have a net connection, there's us
The community spends $1,200 billion US on military but only $100 billion US on development aid. I converted them to billions for comparison. This one really eats at me we are more keen to fight then to help :(
Here in New Zealand using Government budget info I worked out we spend $450 per person on military but $107 per person on foreign aid. That is just the government however, which should be pointed out.
If you have a cupboard to keep your clothes in, a refrigerator for your food, a bed to sleep in and a roof over your head then you are 1 of 25.
Wow crazy again we take that totally for granted :s
18 live on less than $1 US per day but that's not what hits me.
53 struggle to live on less than $2 US per day
Now that is one of my favourite as well as most hated statistics. I like it because it puts are better perspective on poverty, but I hate it too, things should not be this way :( Over half the world lives on less than $2 US per day!
So yeah this really hits me. I don't want to guilt trip or anything here. I just want to put things in perspective and in the near future I will post some things that we can do to help. It's all about discussing and helping to improve the situation. Just discussing it doesn't help many...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)