Buy Responsibly Campaign Helps You Buy Better

categories: Human Trafficking Awareness, Human Trafficking in Europe and the Middle East, Labor Trafficking and Trade, Money and Economy, Technology and the Media

Published October 19, 2009 @ 06:40AM PT

The new International Organization for Migration "Buy Responsibly" campaign is sleek, sexy, and simple. It's a call to consumers to take themselves and the stores at which they shop to task about slavery in consumer-made goods and supply chains. The campaign is Euro-centric, but has implications for anyone who buys anything. You can check it out here.

Here's their short, to-the-point and well-produced PSA about slavery in consumer items, specifically tomatoes. Take a look.

Our demand for cheaper products is one of the big drivers behind human trafficking in a number of industries, from the food we eat to the clothes we wear to the houses we live in. In fact, slavery in the production of consumer goods is so pervasive, I can guarantee that both you and I own at least a handful of items made by slaves; we have eaten food grown, harvested, or produced by slaves. So if we are going to get serious about ending human trafficking, we need to take the Buy Responsibly campaign's message to heart and make an effort to purge our buying habits of slave-made goods.

So does that mean you should boycott every industry that has used slavery? No. For one, it's not a very sustainable lifestyle choice. Information about which products have been tainted by slavery is often outdated or inaccurate. Plus, the use of human trafficking in supply chains is so prolific, you'd be starving and naked before long, and very few people are willing to live like that voluntarily. While boycotts have changed and can improve corporate behaviour, boycotting may put non-trafficked workers' jobs at risk, making some workers worse off. Before considering boycotting a certain product, think about who will profit from and who will be affected by the boycott. If you do boycott, make specific demands and agree to end the boycott when those demands are met.

Another effective way to buy more responsibly is to buy products from companies that have a commitment to fair labor practices. When given a choice between a Fair Trade item and another one, go with the Fair Trade option. Choose products from companies with reputations for treating workers fairly. Tell companies that the rights of workers is an important consideration in your choice of products. These may seem like very small steps, but as companies see that fair labor standards are important to consumers, they will meet that demand like they now meet our demand for low prices.

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Comments (5)

Thats exactly the kind of PSA we need more of. Id like to see it on American TV, even with the posh British accent.

Posted by Slim Chance on 10/20/2009 @ 04:55PM PT
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Thank you again miss kloer...

Ive been wanting to switch to as many free trade items as possible and perhaps that website will help.

Posted by Thomas McHugh on 10/21/2009 @ 05:45PM PT
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i love decision makes from you,the 10 things senior have to do is stop slavery

Posted by nacy debor on 10/24/2009 @ 06:57AM PT
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So where is a list of companies to avoid? That would be very helpful in trying to put your information into action.

Posted by Linda Truax on 10/26/2009 @ 11:27AM PT
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Currently there is no listing of companies to avoid specifically on the issue of trafficked labour. hopefully the cmapign will produce a list of companies that do guarantee worker's rights in their supply chains.

The UK's Ethical Consumer is supporting the Buy Responsibly campaign. We produce rankings of companies across 17 social, ethical and environmental criteria, inclduing worker's rights and supply chain policies. Although our focus is the UK market our ratings include most the consumer facing multinational brands. Check out www.ethicalconsumer.org.

which can credibly guarantee that the products they sell are produced by workers labouring in fair conditions, although there

Posted by Ethical Consumer on 10/27/2009 @ 10:51AM PT
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Author

Amanda has been a full-time abolitionist for six years. During that time, she has created reports, documentaries and training materials on human trafficking in the United States and around the world.