My Consumer Choices Essay

Why did you choose this change in food consumption and why is it an important consumer choice? In the spirit of supporting developing countries, I chose to buy fair trade foods rather than locally produced foods. Instead of buying the usual American coffee as I have always done in the past, I buy coffee, cocoa and tea imported from developing countries such as Ghana and Kenya. I have chosen to buy fair trade foods because I believe I have the power to make a difference in developing countries through supporting their industries. I will readily admit that I have not once ever thought about the person who picked my fruits and vegetables while buying these products at the food market, (Wheeler, 2012).

My first reaction when I am in the produce isle is to buy the biggest and most ripe fruit or vegetable without any imperfections on it. If every person who ever bought a chocolate bar was forced to be put in the life of an African labor child for just one day, I can almost guarantee people would only buy fair trade chocolate from there on out, ("Normalisation and Exclusivity of Fair-Trade Consumption"). Another reason why I probably never thought about the conditions of workers before is because I was only concerned with my own health and thought the only major decision in buying produce was whether or not to buy organic because of the health issues. I was always aware of what certified fair trade was and that it is morally better to buy fair trade.

I never actually knew the extent of why buying fair trade was created in the first place. Maintain a daily journal, for at least 1 week that documents the implementation of the food-related change you made to your consumer behavior. I don’t only buy it to support Kenya as a developing country but also because I love the natural flavor of the tea. I bought the tea at $4. 50 which I think is an affordable price for a tea this delicious. I am a lover of Kenyan tea and the fact that it is a fair trade product only makes me love it more. Monday, 18th June 2017. I convinced all my friends to buy Fairtrade chocolates instead of Mars. I also bought one for myself.

These chocolates are the best that there was. They are imported from South Africa and costs $6. The price may be slightly high but I do not regret buying these chocolates. Within the community, the demand and supply for Fairtrade products have increased due to the increased awareness and purchase of the product. When I was reading With These Hands it helped me understand the degree of the hardships the workers had to go through. I was able to relate to one of the stories. It was said that a typical working day for a man in Mexico who lives with his family was fifteen to twenty hours long depending on how far the farm was. I used to work at a job where sometimes a double shift was required.

I have informed my friends and family about Fairtrade products and led the way by purchasing those products for them and with them. This project has exposed me to the plight of developing countries and the needs that exist in these countries. I have convinced my family and friends that this change is a great initiative towards supporting industrial growth in developing countries as well as increasing employment opportunities, (Bowles & Policy Research Initiative (Canada), 2011). One part that is very frustrating about this entire subject is that these are both multibillion dollar organizations so it would make sense that the people picking the crops for chocolate or the peppers should be paid a descent amount of money. People at the head of these big food corporations take advantage of the fact that there is such a huge population of workers.