Vegan stance on Fair Trade?

Question

As ye've all probably noticed, I'm one of the few meat eaters who frequent this forum so please humour me and my endless questions about veg and vegan lifestyle.

My latest query is about Human Exploitation. Is there an official vegan stance on this? Do vegans support the Fair Trade movement? The reason I ask is that vegans obviously have a very strict policy on animal exploitation so is it the same when our own brethren are treated unfairly and abused?

Answer 1

Most of the vegans I know buy everything that they can from farmer's markets, whole foods, grow their own vegetables and buy fair trade and sweat shop free clothing as well.  Quite a few of us refuse to shop at Walmart also because of the treatment of their employees and their buy-out practices.  

Buying produce from farmer's markets is a way to avoid patronizing conglomerates that cheat  share-croppers. In general most vegans at some point become very conscious of the exploitation of humans as well as non-human animals.

BTW- I as a vegan became more conscious of this stuff after reading "Motorcycle Diaries" and "Omnivore's Dilemma".

Answer 2

Yes I personally support fair trade whenever possible, I am lucky to have a co-op near by who stock a vast array of fair trade goods, I also have a small independent shop as well which only sells fair trade.  Although not everything I need is fairtrade, I do my best. I think its a brilliant scheme!

Answer 3

Vegans are a diverse group, and are not all of one mind. No, there is no 'official' vegan stance on this or any other issue.

But I believe that most, as I do, value human life over animal life, and feel passionately about injustice and exploitation. I suspect for many their veganism arose out of their caring for other human beings, though I am not suggesting that non-vegans don't care.

I think you would probably be hard put to find a vegan who didn't support fair trade.

Answer 4

Depends on the vegan you ask.

This vegan supports fair trade 100%

Having children working in sweat shops for 10 cents an hour (if that) is, in my mind, stealing. It's unethical and these massive corporations need to be held accountable for their actions.

Answer 5

im a libertarian vegetarian and think that anyone should be able to work for whoever they want and anyone should be able to hire any one they want at any wage.

Answer 6

Interesting question.

I buy fair trade as much as possible and try to buy as many items from the UK as I can. I try not to buy anything such as clothes that are just labelled as 'made in china' etc where I can't trace the origins.

Admittedly though, I'm not as strict about food when it comes to fair trade as I am about food being vegan. I may for example eat a fruit salad at a restaurant without checking whether it's fair trade. On the other hand I will always check whether a meal is vegan. I think my main justification for this (although I haven't really thought much about it up until now) is that yes, there's a chance the workers could be exploited but there is a difference between exploitation and cruelty. Workers may not get as much money as they should but they still have some kind of freedom to live as they please. Animals on the other hand have no choice in the matter. The way I see it... I think in terms of what I would find acceptable for myself. I would be able to handle not getting paid much... obviously I wouldn't like it but I could excuse it. I would not on the other hand think it acceptable for someone to impregnate me year after year, steal my babies and then have machines suck milk out of me.

So anyway, yes I do feel strongly about human exploitation. If I had a choice between buying less of something that is traded fairly than something cheap and exploitative then I will go for the fair choice. I don't buy things that could be made in sweat shops like items from primark of even designer clothes or shoes. I do however feel more strongly towards vegan issues than I do fairtrade.