Introducing Fair Trade....

I got a box of Fair Trade tea for Christmas, when my office were distributing the stuffs in the Christmas hampers.

Fair Trade is cool. Do you know what is Fair Trade? Nah. Its not the NTUC Fair Price. Its this scheme where the profits gained from the buyers go directly to the marginalized farmers themselves, minus the giant retailers.

Fairtrade comes in the form of bananas, coffee and tea. Not sure if there are more, probably...
In the globalized world today, I think most of us have learnt that the rich becomes richer and the poor, poorer. This is due to MNCs and TNCs taking over the place of small businesses and economies, and while hiring people from the third-world countries to do the mass production, the giant companies pay them lowly and shortchange their earnings. So, its the same for the poor coffee farmers in the third-world countries.

With fair-trade, the farmers get direct profits. Sadly, not many people in Singapore know about this movement. It chips in with social responsiblity. I do know that Starbucks and Marks and Spencers sell Fair-trade coffee and teas. So, I can feel less guilty when I drink Starbucks. Cos I know that even though its expensive, the money goes to a good cause.... And above all... you are paying for organic coffee... healthy.

Can you imagine, buying a cup of coffee is not just buying a cup of coffee. You buy into social responsiblity, you buy into goodwill and peace on earth, and you buy into a better global environment. So much for a cup of kopi or teh. Hmmm... maybe too much. But doesn't that cup taste better with its humane flavour?

So, the resolution for the year 2008 will be to drink only Fairtrade coffee and tea!!(I will probably break that resolution...)