Fair trade v the environment

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

Fair trade v the environment

stuart · House on Fire

very good point Jules , i however support the local farmer

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Jules wrote:

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this.

However, I always have a dilemma on my hands when I shop. Do I support local farmers and buy local produce, so that food is not flown in from thousands of miles away? Or do I support fair trade and ensure that farmers in the third world have their fair share and are treating properly? Usually, given a choice I go for the fair trade and have produce which is flown in from thousands of miles away. However, what is the point if people do not have a healthy and liveable environment which will eventually destroy the planet? And what is the point of preserving the environment if it involves keeping people down and poor so that they unable to live healthily and prosper and appreciate their environment? What are you supposed to do?

Buy yer bananas fair trade and your spuds locally. Only things worth buying from abroad are what cannot be produced here. So bananas, coffee, cocoa, wine etc. should be bought from abroad whereas meat, root vegetables, beer etc you can source in the UK (and given the lack of transit and less need to freeze they are better). That said, I don't do the shopping so I don't know where it all comes from anymore. I used to get stuff at markets (eggs, spuds etc), but my wife goes to the supermarket. Guess that doesn't help at all!

toriapplejoy · House on Fire

nope it doesn't.