Ethical vs. Fair Trade

Photo by Joanna Shelley

Controversy has been caused by YUSU events such as Viking Raid and Roses using unethical merchandise from manufacturers such as Fruit of the Loom. Lengthy discussions to resolve the problem are taking place in Senate.

Whilst many of us will happily make the pilgrimage to Leeds to visit Primark, do we know where has the cotton been picked from, how much are the workers being paid, and should we care?

For us it’s one or two pounds extra on a t-shirt, for these people it’s the difference in feeding their family or not.
Kate Evans, Chair of People and Planet

York University society People and Planet is involved in both publicising the campaign for ethical products and pushing the Union to provide students with ethical clothes. Ethical merchandise is the term given to products that have been made in factories where workers receive support and more importantly rights. Kate Evans, Chair of People and Planet, told The Yorker:

‘Ethical merchandise provides two main things to its employees; firstly, they’re paid a living wage, secondly, they allow workers to unionise, i.e. to form their own Union. Ethically sourced companies deal with the actual workers and prevent human rights abuses occurring at the work place.’

A common misconception with ethical merchandise is that it is also fair trade, Kate Evans explained: ‘Fair-trade is to do with growers; it means that if a farmer is growing cocoa they receive a fair price for their product. In t-shirt production it means that the cotton growers are getting a fair price for their cotton.’

Whilst buying fair-trade is doing a good deed, it should be noted that it is not always the case that fair-trade produce is ethical produced. If the product is fair trade it means that it has been bought for a decent price, but it is not ensuring that the workers in the factories are being protected.

One of the biggest issues being raised about all campus merchandise being ethically sourced is that it will add extra cost onto products. However, the University provides fair-trade coffee campus wide, and there has been no large scale boycott of this due to an increase in price. So if it were to introduce ethically sourced merchandise would students buy it regardless?

Currently, one of the merchandise labels in Your:Shop is being investigated by People and Planet as a possible alternative to Fruit of the Loom, highlighting that some University merchandise being sold on campus is classed as ethical.

But why should students care, after all, adding extra expense onto merchandise may well affect our pockets – which is never going to be a popular decision.

Kate Evans added: ‘I feel that people have a duty in making their consumer choices to opt for this. For us it’s one or two pounds extra on a t-shirt, for these people it’s the difference in feeding their family or not.

'It’s not necessarily about boycotting unethical companies, but if people begin to choose the ethical merchandise then the unethical companies will have to become ethical to stay in the market.’

The reasons behind the rise in unethical merchandise are suggested to be our penchant for cheaper clothes. Labour behind Labels says that as the average price for womens wear has fallen meaning that factories are under greater pressure to produce catwalk copies quicker than ever before: ‘This demand for low prices and a quick turnaround ultimately leads to lower wages for workers in all garment factories.’

A quick turnaround, ultimately leads to lower wages for workers in all garment factories.
Labour behind Labels

Whilst the debate rages on about how to find ethical merchandise at a reasonable cost and delivery dates that are achievable, it is important for students to know where the products they’re buying have come from, and how those who make them are being protected. The campus-wide sale of fair-trade goods has shown a responsible attitude from the University, and People and Planet hope that ethical merchandise will be soon available for all to buy.