But, it's not a simple "don't buy it". What are those women going to do to feed their families if no one buys cashews?
This is the conundrum of exploring these kinds of issues.
Some years ago, I did a deep dive study about coffee production. It was massively eye opening and since then I support Fair Trade products and principles. It’s not perfect, but it’s much better for the cultivators in terms of receiving a decent price for their work.
Likewise, here in Australia there are major problems with the price of milk. In our country, there are two major supermarkets that have the monopoly on the market. They have aggressively moved into store brand items at lower prices. Many consumers are unaware that these products are made by the same manufacturer as the more expensive brands.
The companies have to sell their products to the conglomerate at wildly unfair prices. They literally have no other choice.
I deeply wish these two mega-million companies would simply do the right thing and pay a few cents more to our dairy farmers (and other farmers and manufacturers across the board) but they won’t.
They continue to squeeze wholesale prices down until these companies are on their knees, barely making enough money to sustain their business.
With our cost of living crisis being one of the biggest challenges facing consumers, people simply cannot afford to seek out the smaller, more artisan brands due to cost.
I don’t have the answers to these problems, but I always apply my concerns to my shopping. Luckily, I am able to buy groceries from more discerning retailers. I pay the price, but my products in the pantry and the fridge are quality and we can definitely taste the difference in my dishes.
Apologies for the long rant!
