A while back I posted an entry on the topic of ‘child labour’. I spoke about how so much of what we eat and wear in Western Culture is the product of the sweat and tears of child workers. It is a tough area and very easy to ‘guilt’ people into doing something about it. I don’t believe this should be the approach taken. However, at the same time I believe people, and especially Christians, should be an advocate for organisations that are aiming to make a difference in this area. So, in this spirit I list the following websites that list various Fair Trade information websites as well as a few fair trade manufacturers and product stockists. It is by no means an expansive list, with countless companies thankfully joining the fair trade bandwagon, however I have had some form of positive contact with the following groups and so wish to publically applaud them for their work!
http://www.fairtrade.com.au/ – the offical Australia and New Zealand fair trade site. Great info on fair trade in Australia and how to spot fair trade products at your local supermarket or shopping centre.
http://www.oxfam.org.au/campaigns/fair-trade/ – Oxfam, an organisation that strongly encourages and supports fair trade goods.
http://www.fairtrade.net/ – International Fair Trade Labelling organisation
http://www.nosweatstuff.com.au/ – 100% non-sweatshop shoes and clothing
http://www.etiko.com.au/ – Fair Trade clothes and sporting gear manufacturer
http://stylewithsoul.com.au/shop/ – Another fair trade clothing manufacturer
http://www.wildbeancafe.com/ – All Wild Bean café’s (connected to BP service stations) now serve 100% Fair Trade Coffee!
http://www.greenandblacks.com – Fair Trade chocolate brand available in WA (I believe IN coles stores and other selected stockists)
ALSO, Coles, Woolworths and IGA supermarkets ALL STOCK fair trade coffees and chocolate brands. Check labelling for details!
For more info, check the first website listed or simply google ‘fair trade’…there is a LOT of information about this topic on the internet!
Thanks for this. I was waiting for this post
Are all the brands from Target, Kmart etc made by child labour? Is there any way we can check?
Best way to check…ask the particular Target, K-Mart etc Store.
Also, check the fair trade labelling website. Anything that IS fair trade basically WILL have the label because its quite a lucrative market. Chances are if a product is ‘imported’ (and doesn’t have the fair trade label) then some part of it (either the material or the clothing) were quite likely produced by some form of exploitative labour. Aussie made clothing to my knowledge is also ‘basically’ fair trade. That’s aussie MADE, not Aussie OWNED.