6

Lately, I have been thinking about the above question.

By buying fairtrade bananas, I ensure that the producers get paid above market price. However, I do support large-scale retail corporations which usually don't see sustainability as their core business value.

Alternatively, I can buy bananas from an unknown source - and mostly not certified - at a local shop. The benefit here is that I support a local business owner, strengthen local relationships and support a shop that often prefers to give away food for free before having to throw food away that cannot longer be sold.

For me a difficult decision. What is your opinion?

orschiro
  • 1,389
  • 6
  • 19

2 Answers2

7

In each case, a certain amount of money is going to be helping people you care about. With the local shop owner, it's the owner and other local people (as a downstream effect). With the supermarket, it's the growers.

Trying to determine how much money makes it to those people would help give an appropriate weighting for each.

It may or may not be hard to find out the money going to each, but there's no harm in asking.

Greenwashing

Note it's important to watch out for greenwashing, such as a retailer claiming their bananas are fairtrade when only 5 cents/kg extra gets to the grower (and they might charge $1/kg extra for it). This is where certifying organisations are useful, as they can standardise what should be deemed "fairtrade".

In such a case, you might be better buying the standard bananas and making an occasional donation to an appropriate charity instead.

Highly Irregular
  • 8,795
  • 10
  • 38
  • 78
  • This is brilliant, thank you! Buying the cheaper bananas and donating the difference between the cheaper ones of the shop owner and the fairtrade ones. :) – orschiro Aug 29 '15 at 12:06
5

I would have gone with the local shop but after looking into fair trade, it seems that fair trade supports the environment: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/en/what-is-fairtrade/the-impact-of-our-work/the-difference-that-fairtrade-makes

You should ask the local shop to stock fair trade and if they do then it'll be a double win.

Arran F
  • 61
  • 3
  • 2
    I like your proactive approach! I will get in touch with the shop owner(s) and ask them what they think about fair trade. – orschiro Aug 28 '15 at 10:08