Fair Trade
State of the Future for the Poor
Filed in: Poverty
By Kat Vaughan
According to a new book by the UN's Millennium Project, 2007 State of the Future, although corruption and terrorism are on the increase, literacy, living standards and life expectancy are on the rise.
Here are some interesting statistics: In 1970, 37% of people over 15 were illiterate, compared to just over 18% today. Global life expectancy has grown from 48 years in 1955 to an expected 73 years in 2025. Extreme poverty is also falling, from 28% in 1990 to 21%, according to the World Bank.
These statistics get mildly lost on me, really, when I see the poor first hand. I don't know what to believe except that the poor desperately need our help and they will always be with us.
Although international trade has probably contributed to better statistics, I believe they'd increase greatly if fair trade was demanded and enforced. Indeed, fair trade is the only ethical form of trading; it is imperative for improving and maximizing the living conditions of the poor, while promoting the global economy. Shop with a conscience! Buy fair trade only.
Buy fair trade. Be globally minded.
According to a new book by the UN's Millennium Project, 2007 State of the Future, although corruption and terrorism are on the increase, literacy, living standards and life expectancy are on the rise.
Here are some interesting statistics: In 1970, 37% of people over 15 were illiterate, compared to just over 18% today. Global life expectancy has grown from 48 years in 1955 to an expected 73 years in 2025. Extreme poverty is also falling, from 28% in 1990 to 21%, according to the World Bank.
These statistics get mildly lost on me, really, when I see the poor first hand. I don't know what to believe except that the poor desperately need our help and they will always be with us.
Although international trade has probably contributed to better statistics, I believe they'd increase greatly if fair trade was demanded and enforced. Indeed, fair trade is the only ethical form of trading; it is imperative for improving and maximizing the living conditions of the poor, while promoting the global economy. Shop with a conscience! Buy fair trade only.
Buy fair trade. Be globally minded.
|