What can consumers do?

What can consumers do?

We all buy various goods on a daily basis: from food and clothes to services. As consumers we do not always realise that we are at the end of a long chain of supply – and that our new shirt or the tasty chocolate bar has come a very long way before it reaches the shop we buy it from. Increasingly people in developing countries are making products we buy, and so what we choose to buy had an affect around the world.

Buying products from developing countries

Millions of people in developing countries depend on international professional buyers for their livelihoods. Many companies recognise the responsibility this gives them, and have taken steps to stop exploitation in their supply chains. Sometimes, though, companies’ purchasing practices undermine their attempts to meet these standards, with disastrous consequences for the poorest producers.

Problems in the supply chain

Increasing concentration in the supply chain can weaken the negotiating power of the poorest suppliers and workers. The highly competitive nature of purchasing puts pressure on both the buyer and the supplier. Professional buyers want their produce quicker, cheaper and on a more flexible basis. Suppliers have to cope with orders being changed, cancelled, increased or decreased and delivery dates being altered, but they may not be in a long term relationship with their customer. The risks that the supplier faces are sometimes passed on to their worker or farmers who contributed to your product in the form of unplanned overtime, low wages, no sickness, maternity or pension provision, unsecure contracts.

What can you do?

Consumers can be a powerful force in the supply chain. Ask questions about the products you buy. Transparency about the origins of products is a good indicator of the relationship between a company and its suppliers. If you have questions about a product’s origin or about the working conditions in the country of origin, ask questions to the brand or the retailer.

You are not only a consumer, you are also a voter. If you have questions about the working conditions in the developing countries that are supplying products which are available for sale in your market, ask questions about this to your members of parliament.