Marywood Fair Trade
We buy. We purchase. We spend. Sometimes our money goes to more honest needs, like our grocery bills or mortgage. But often our money equally goes to materialistic wants. So what if I told you that your purchases, both need and want based, could help provide power to an individual, family, or community? If that coffee you buy tomorrow is fair trade, then it turns out you can.
The benefits of buying fair trade are endless! It has the potential to create responsible economic growth, educate children, and support a family. Yet I never truly understood how personal this was to me until I started working with CRS as a Student Ambassador.
It was through this program that I was presented with information; detailed facts about the tangible evidence that buying fair trade changes lives. Knowing this information compelled me to really immerse myself in the fair trade culture and work to influence other’s buying decisions. I want to be a source of information for others, gently persuading them that Fair Trade is the right choice, not only personally but globally.
As I started to switch my own buying habits, I began to wonder how I could make a larger impact. This is how I ended up volunteering to sell fair trade products.
I wanted to be part of this change not only to inform those inside my own personal bubble of family and friends but also those outside of it. As a graphic designer, I understand all too well the power of information. When presented correctly and creatively, information can compel people towards action-towards making a difference. With this knowledge, I decided to combine my understanding of fair trade with my skill of graphic design in order to bring life to this topic and create conversation around it.
Around Christmas, I started to research different spending trends around the Holiday season. As I became more familiar with these numbers, I started to compare them to fair trade statistics. As I compiled my information, I decided to make a video comparing the Christmas buying frenzy with the results seen through fair trade (below).
My intention for the video was to have ever viewer buy one Holiday gift that was fair trade realizing the impact it would have on families across the world. While I knew this video would best be utilized on my own campus for the short window I had before Christmas, this piece became the start of recognizing the power of my own voice and recognizing the potential one person has to change the way others buy.
Through my video I created a challenge for each viewer. I challenged them to take the information and to change the way they spend. I challenged them to recognize the impact of every dollar they spend. I challenged them to take accountability for economic justice.
Through all of this, I recognized how each of us, each individual has a responsibility to each of our human brothers and sisters to commit to buying fair trade because this movement has the potential to lift millions of families out of poverty and into sustainable livelihoods.
So the next time you splurge on a gourmet cup of coffee, let me suggest fair trade because that single cup of coffee could feed a family. This movement is not about eliminating consumerism, it is about responsible consumerism. You are the key to responsible consumerism and how beautiful it would be to unlock the door of hunger, poverty, and injustice all with your gourmet cup of fair trade coffee.
Elizabeth MacNeal is CRS Campus Ambassador at Marywood University
hello, my name is Emily.
I am doing a Personal interest project on Fair trade because i am very passionate about it. As i came across your article it made me very excited that someone young like me has the same interest. I was wondering if i could have a talk to you and possibly an interview.
It would really help me with my research for this project.
Emily, please email [email protected] and we can put you in contact with the author!