I know a little girl who is a child of many talents. She loves to dance, is an excellent gymnast, and isn’t afraid of heights. For a long time her parents were driven to distraction trying to find a sport that involved everything she loved to do. It was on the day she put on her first cheerleading uniform cheerleading uniform that she looked completely happy. Her passion had been found. There actually was a sport that allowed her to do everything she loved at the same place and within the same time period. When she looked at herself in the mirror that first time, standing proudly in her little cheerleading uniform cheerleading uniform, I saw a light of recognition and a wave of peace come over her that carried through to all of her other activities. Where she had previously been a student who could not concentrate in class and seemed to lose track of time on the playground, she became a better student and practiced cheers during recess. She will probably be involved in cheerleading for the rest of her life, but I find it most fulfilling to see her first cheerleading uniform cheerleading uniform in a picture-box on her wall in her room and the first trophy she won for excelling in cheerleading.

Browse around your nearest Sainsburys, and you’re observing the benefits of global market forces. You can purchase practically anything at a cheap price. Whether it’s rice from Indonesia or coffee from Columbia – it’s acquirable throughout the year. There’s never been a greater era in the history of humanity to be a consumer in the west. This has come about by intricate stock control and logistics, economies of scale, strong competitive forces, and possibly most importantly, the fact that most produced goods are sourced, and often produced, in the poorest nations.

The final reason is rather important, and controversial. While shoppers are purchasing food, drink, clothing and other items manufactured from the poorest nations at rock-bottom prices, workers and businesses in these manufacturing nations are often cheated, and have no true sustainable business model as they are the last stop of a very long line of middle-men who determine what they manufacture, how much, and how often. This lengthy line of middle-men all require their share too – in the end there’s not much money left for the end-of-line manufacturer.

However, there’s assistance for these impoverished labourers and companies. Fairtrade is a cause that attempts to empower these end-producing business organizations in the poorer nations of the planet. It seeks to get rid of these middlemen, and pay the end-producer a just price for an item in a much more direct way. You may have encountered Fairtrade items in your nearby supermarket. You’ll sometimes find they’re a bit more expensive, but by purchasing such ethical products, you will know the producer is working in a sustainable way that not only pays them fairly through much more direct revenue streams, but it also grants them to reinvest in their company through greater earnings, which genuinely contributes in a positive way toward these poorer areas of the planet.