Immigration of 190 million or more people is in the world, and it is divided into economical and the large reason for political and cultural although the reason is various.  In inside, in order to live for war or poverty, people who become the “refugee” who cannot but emigrate are also.  And 90 percent of refugees are in a developing country, and they tend to have forced labor extremely hard as the cheap labor force.  The poverty which poses a problem ranging over the border is unsolvable only in the country in which the problem has taken place.  A problem induces the following problem.  Poverty is everybody’s problem among the world.  I suggest the way which could help solving the problem.

Have you heard the word of fair trade? Fair trade is giving the producer of a developing country the remuneration corresponding to labor, and is a form of trade of aiding independence of their life continuously.  It is also called “the alternative trade” to the free trade system in use.  This movement that is said to have started in Europe in the 70s, From the 80s, spread quickly and Fairtrade Label Organization (FLO), The international organization could do it and it became possible to attach a label to the goods which passed the screening criterion, and the Fairtrade was adopted also as the major company by birth of this label, and was expanded by it.  Moreover, the aids for improvement in a producer’s life are contained in the prices of fair trade goods as a Fairtrade Premium.

Fair trade is realized to be new business, it is not as a charity and the case where it fights by the merit of quality and the beauty of a design on a fashion community is also seen in recent years.  A typical example is a brand “People tree” of Fairtrade-goods speciality.  The People tree is what British Safia Minney started in Japan, and deals with clothing, miscellaneous goods, food, and various fair trade goods.

It adheres to the height of fashionability, a news hook is given by making Emma Watson into an image model, and it is not that of “buying it, because it is a fair trade”, The stance of “because it was good, I choose it, was fair trade” was taken, and although fair trade goods were expensive, the conventional image that quality was not quite satisfactory was changed.

Although “we can cooperate internationaly only do shopping” and a catch copy are used well as for fair trade, the side which a maker certainly is and buys loads a thing also with the meaning of gratitude, and I think that it stands to reason originally that pays money.

I regard what as it becoming important whether value is considered.  Should not we the consumers think, more and should not do satisfactory shopping through the time of mass consumption?  I thought that it might become clue to poverty solution including immigration.

by Yuri Takayanagi