In recent years the fair trade market concept is one that has been gaining interest and momentum. The hope behind the concept is to see that those in less developed countries get a better price for the good they produce, either through their labor or by extraction from their lands
Capitalism as we know it today owes its very existence to the particular relationship that was contrived between industrializing nations and colonized states in various corners of the world. A number of European countries including Great Britain are examples of how empire worked. The legacy of the unfair relationships still persists until the present era.
In the not too distant past at the height f the colonial era there were a few countries that literally ruled the world with a power they maintained through military might. This power enabled them to annex vast sections of the planet as their colonies which they could exploit to their advantage. The colonies were turned into raw material production regions to feed the factories of industrialized Europe.
The colonized countries provided captive markets for the products which they had to buy at much higher price than that which was obtained for the raw product. In actual fact it was the European colonial authorities that fixed the price in the first place. They were always in favor of the colonial buyers and not the colonized sellers. The relationship was completely unfair and served only to keep the colonized countries in poverty while the colonizers grew rich.
Many people think that colonialism is a historical entity that no longer applies in the modern world. Unfortunately, this is not true. It is something that still operates up till today. So many countries still find themselves locked in the age old position of being the suppliers of unprocessed products which are purchased by the industrialized countries at low prices. Palm oil, cocoa and even gold and diamonds are examples of some of these raw materials.
It is not just these unfair economic relationships persist, but that they have in fact evolved and manifested some very unpleasant facets in the modern world. Nowadays, some of the poor countries are given the mandate to manufacture good but the labor needed to do so are paid very poorly and given extremely bad working conditions.
Some Asian countries are in the news of late for being in the position of producing cheap clothing to western markets with tragic consequences for their workforces. This news coverage has come to the attention of some western consumers who have reacted with outrage. They are boycotting some of the stores who are the worst offenders of buying these cheap clothes.
The people who are looking for fair alternatives are seriously investigating the existence of a fair trade market that they can get easy access too. As such many retailers are responding to the new level of awareness by sourcing goods that have been fairly traded to supply to their growing customer base.
Capitalism as we know it today owes its very existence to the particular relationship that was contrived between industrializing nations and colonized states in various corners of the world. A number of European countries including Great Britain are examples of how empire worked. The legacy of the unfair relationships still persists until the present era.
In the not too distant past at the height f the colonial era there were a few countries that literally ruled the world with a power they maintained through military might. This power enabled them to annex vast sections of the planet as their colonies which they could exploit to their advantage. The colonies were turned into raw material production regions to feed the factories of industrialized Europe.
The colonized countries provided captive markets for the products which they had to buy at much higher price than that which was obtained for the raw product. In actual fact it was the European colonial authorities that fixed the price in the first place. They were always in favor of the colonial buyers and not the colonized sellers. The relationship was completely unfair and served only to keep the colonized countries in poverty while the colonizers grew rich.
Many people think that colonialism is a historical entity that no longer applies in the modern world. Unfortunately, this is not true. It is something that still operates up till today. So many countries still find themselves locked in the age old position of being the suppliers of unprocessed products which are purchased by the industrialized countries at low prices. Palm oil, cocoa and even gold and diamonds are examples of some of these raw materials.
It is not just these unfair economic relationships persist, but that they have in fact evolved and manifested some very unpleasant facets in the modern world. Nowadays, some of the poor countries are given the mandate to manufacture good but the labor needed to do so are paid very poorly and given extremely bad working conditions.
Some Asian countries are in the news of late for being in the position of producing cheap clothing to western markets with tragic consequences for their workforces. This news coverage has come to the attention of some western consumers who have reacted with outrage. They are boycotting some of the stores who are the worst offenders of buying these cheap clothes.
The people who are looking for fair alternatives are seriously investigating the existence of a fair trade market that they can get easy access too. As such many retailers are responding to the new level of awareness by sourcing goods that have been fairly traded to supply to their growing customer base.
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