Do you actually know where, by whom and under what circumstances all the things you consume every day are produced? Open your eyes and be aware of what you buy.
Keep your eyes open when shopping - for nature
Be honest, many of us don't really know where everything we consume every day comes from. Do you know who made the clothes you wear? Who is involved in the supply chain of that delicious chocolate that's on sale right now? What side effects the cultivation of certain products has on people and nature? Admittedly, it's tempting to go to the discount store. And who doesn't have to watch the money these days?
Nevertheless, once you know the consequences of the production and distribution of many mass-produced products, you might think differently about them. And at least limit yourself a little.
Where does everything that ends up in our shopping basket every day come from?
Good question - it's often not so easy to understand the route some products take. The blatant logistics of low-priced frozen crabs that are fished in the North Sea, harvested in Morocco (really true!) and then shipped back to Germany have only been brought to the attention of consumers through well-conceived research and a TV documentary.
Fashion from eco-hell
Clothing, for example, is now produced in incredible quantities in the poor countries of the world, preferably in Bangladesh, but also in China. Some customers may not even want to know what working conditions are like there. And, of course, a lot of chemicals are also used for fashion-to-go, which eventually end up in the wastewater - and then in the groundwater. Mostly where people live in the immediate vicinity, farm and collect well water.
Child labor and environmental pollution for many consumer goods
Even the chocolate we all love so much often comes from cocoa farms in West Africa or South America. Working conditions are suboptimal, child labor is not uncommon and the use of pesticides or herbicides is often concealed by the operators. The same applies to the cultivation of cut flowers - the beautiful, colorful bouquets that are often sold so cheaply come from far away. Very often from South America. The workers - mostly female workers - are exposed to the environmental toxins used in cultivation without protection, just like many unskilled workers in the Third World. On top of this, everything that is generously sprayed here, so that we have beautiful flowers in our vases, seeps into the groundwater or even seeps into the surrounding villages.
Large-scale environmental destruction - for profit
And we don't want to go into detail here about the palm oil plantations that devour huge areas of rainforest, at least this is well known and even food manufacturers, such as nut nougat cream, are increasingly swearing off palm oil.
As you can see, the world is not always a beautiful place. And our consumption - especially our affordable consumption - has its price. But others pay it. Somewhere we can't see it.
YOU can do something - and it doesn't involve much effort at all
There is a lot you can do. The obvious thing to do, of course, is to shop in your immediate vicinity where you can see how your food, juice or wine is produced. This is certainly possible - many farmers run farm stores and go so far in terms of transparency that they even offer farm tours. And some of them are committed to sustainable farming, so you can buy organic food in season. This means you are buying fairly and supporting regional producers. And when it comes to food, you can taste the difference!
Fairtrade - sustainable, ecological, fair
For items from other parts of the world, but also for clothing or toys, gift items, cosmetics and the like, for example, it becomes more difficult. But don't worry, you can also buy these with a clear conscience. That's what the global Fairtrade network is for. First and foremost, Fairtrade means that producers are paid fairly and appropriately. At the same time, Fairtrade also strives for sustainability in production. For example, information and training is provided in the countries of origin and important support is given so that producers learn to produce high-quality goods for which consumers in Europe are happy to pay a little more. As Fairtrade producers can often break out of the vicious circle of poverty with the help of the concept, the first step is often to improve the education of their own children and thus pass on the effects to the next generation.
Therefore: keep your eyes open when shopping
Fair trade products are labeled with the Fairtrade seal. Some of them can be found in conventional supermarkets or drugstores. However, you can also browse to your heart's content in the so-called world stores. From clothing to chocolate bars, you will only find goods here that have passed the strict scrutiny of worldshop buyers.
