Shopping is no longer escapism. Gone are the therapy days. The recent ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign is just one of many ways in which the issue of Fair Trade has been highlighted to us as consumers.
Going to the supermarket or browsing along the high street with these issues ringing in our ears makes the experience very different. We are told in the Bible that ‘blessed is he who is generous to the poor’ (Proverbs 14.21) yet inadvertently many of us have probably bought goods that have been produced by people who are exploited and abused. Being interested in the equal treatment of all mankind means that the shopper needs to make ethical decisions as they make their purchases.
Persuaders
Advertising and marketing techniques offer us many different reasons as to why we should give certain companies our cash. It’s fat free! It’s good value! It’s the latest! It’s going to make you more attractive! Yet the choices that we make as consumers don’t just have an affect on us as individuals. They affect world trade and the decisions of multinational companies.
