| What makes an ethical shopper? This might seem an | | | | widely used in the food industry, but can be harmful to |
| odd question, and you may even wonder what ethics | | | | the workers who work on the crops, and it can also |
| have to do with our shopping. In fact, when we shop it | | | | be harmful to wildlife in the area, and very much to the |
| is very easy to see what the shops want us to see, | | | | environment as a whole. Chemicals soak into the |
| and fool ourselves into being completely blind to the | | | | ground, and drain into rivers and streams. The effects |
| manufacture and distribution of the products, forgetting | | | | can be both unknown, and disastrous. Growing crops |
| that real people somewhere have made these | | | | without these chemicals is more expensive, and takes |
| products to help feed their families, and that the | | | | a little longer, but the results are more nutritious, and |
| environment and animals will likely have been affected | | | | grown without detriment to the workers or the |
| in some way. | | | | environment. |
| Shopping in an ethical way means choosing shops or | | | | Another factor worth considering is buying cosmetic |
| products which have been sourced, manufactured and | | | | items which have not been tested on animals. More |
| distributed in ways which are fair to those people living | | | | and more manufacturers are aware that a growing |
| in third world countries, kind to animals that may have | | | | number of consumers do not agree with the idea of |
| been involved or would have otherwise been involved, | | | | testing these chemicals on animals, when this can |
| and kind on the environment which is certainly suffering | | | | often mean causing physical discomfort, pain, and even |
| as a direct result of the increase in our consumer | | | | resulting in blindness or death. Many bottles and jars |
| society. | | | | now have clear labels stating that they have not been |
| First of all, when you go shopping you may notice | | | | tested on animals, although you have to be a little |
| stickers and labels with 'Fair Trade' on them. These tell | | | | careful here if you want to be completely ethical. The |
| you that the manufacture of these items took place in | | | | absence of a label may well be an unspoken |
| a third world country, but making absolutely sure that | | | | confession to using animals, and even if the label says |
| the people involved were treated fairly, worked | | | | that it hasn't been tested on animals, what about the |
| reasonable hours, and were paid a fair wage. All too | | | | individual chemical ingredients? Some manufacturers |
| often people who are struggling to keep their family | | | | go as far as stating that neither the product nor its |
| sheltered and fed are mistreated and forced into | | | | ingredients have been tested on animals. This is the |
| working unreasonably long hours for an absurdly low | | | | clearest message. |
| wage. This means that suppliers and retailers can | | | | A recent argument about ethics is to do with |
| keep the cost down, but is it really fair for us to worry | | | | genetically modified foods. This is a difficult one, |
| about saving twenty pence here and there when the | | | | because in one sense, no animal, plant, person or |
| extra few pence to us could make the difference | | | | aspect of the environment has been directly harmed in |
| between a family in the third world being miserable or | | | | any way, and in fact some foods have been |
| being happy and able to look to the future with hope? | | | | genetically modified to be able to grow stronger and |
| Another way to shop in an ethical way is to find food | | | | healthier in harsher conditions, allowing third world |
| which has been labelled as 'organic'. This means that | | | | countries to reap far more. Is this unethical? At |
| the food ingredients have been grown without the use | | | | present, the jury is still out on this, and you will have to |
| of chemicals, such as pesticides. These chemicals are | | | | judge for yourself. |