As Fair Trade month nears its close, our thoughts turn to U.S. elections. We asked Tina Rodousakis of the CRS Advocacy team to help us understand our roles as faithful citizens. Many thanks to Tina for the following guest blog posting:
“It’s hard to believe but the presidential and congressional elections are only two weeks away. By now, can you imagine opening the newspaper or watching television without seeing the latest claims and counterclaims by various political candidates? It feels like we’ve been inundated with political advertisements and slogans – especially those of us who live in those famous “swing” states.
But, of course, who will govern our country from the Oval Office as well as from congressional offices on Capitol Hill is critically important. We hope you are registered to vote and will do so on November 4th. As Fair Traders, we should have a particular interest in the elections given our awareness of how our decisions can make a real, positive difference in the world. Beyond our consumer activism, engagement in the political process and advocacy on public policy issues can bring about real change for our sister and brothers overseas.
In preparation for these elections, the U.S. Catholic Bishops have issued “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship“ – a statement that outlines Catholic teaching on political life. In their statement the Bishops emphasize that: “In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.”
One of the issues the Bishops raise as a serious moral concern “that challenge our consciences and require us to act” is hunger. Those of us involved in the Fair Trade movement know that hunger is one of those issues that we can address by purchasing products that give poor people a chance to earn a fair wage that in turn will allow them to feed themselves and their families.
But the current global food crisis that is affecting millions of people here at home and overseas is threatening to undermine the progress that has been made to lift people out of poverty. The most damaging impact of the global food crisis is on the poorest people, who spend a far higher proportion of their income on food. Those who are struggling to pay for food will eat less or cheaper food with less nutritional value. Even the middle class in many developing nations will have to sell their assets to pay for food.
The causes of the current global food crisis are many and complex. An increasing demand for food and energy at a time of low food stocks, poor harvests and weak credit have led to record prices for food. Also, some subsidies given to farmers in the United States, European Union (EU) and Japan distort the local and global marketplace and have fueled the global food crisis. Each year, the U.S., EU and Japan provide billions of dollars in subsidies to producers of certain agricultural products. In the U.S., 70 percent of these payments go to a small number of producers, with smaller-scale farm and ranch operations in the U.S. at a disadvantage. U.S. subsidies for biofuel production have also pushed up food prices.
Learn more about global hunger and how you can assess this issue as part of your decision-making process for the upcoming election. Become a CRS Advocate for ongoing information about how you can advocate for issues that affect poor peoples’ lives year-round. And, certainly, don’t forget to vote on November 4!”
- This cocoa farmer in Ghana exercises her right to vote in Kuapa Kokoo's elections.
