It appears that our concern for the ethical conscience of UK business during the recession were well founded (Blog 13.11.08). A report in the Independent on Sunday highlighted how major corporations have been using these leaner times as an excuse to drop prior ethical pledges.
The article rightly points out that where greater corporate social responsibility (CSR) was initiated for PR purposes, the spend has fallen away. These are the companies who never had a genuine commitment to ethical business to begin with. Planting a few trees in exchange for some positive column inches probably seemed like a good idea pre-2008, but with no novelty value , a lack of cash and no genuine concern to begin with, these initiatives have naturally fallen by the wayside.
However, when ethical trading can bring business benefits, the change of heart may be more than a blip. Marks & Spencer has improved the efficiency of its coffee suppliers which has allowed them to increase pay for the plantation workers. There is something slightly hazy about the M&S approach. There is an fine line between using purported “fair trade” principles as a stick, and really wanting to improve people’s lives, but the future of ethical business globally does inevitably depend on a profitable partnership. The end of exploitation of suppliers is an important line and one that is morally difficult to cross back over.
Positive partnerships, more enlightened management and better informed, more moralistic consumers can all drive change. The longer term benefits for everyone are there to be achieved. However, we need to make sure that heavyweight companies like Shell and BP improve their lightweight approach to greener, more ethical business.
You can rest assured that our ethics are at the heart of what we do at This Fair Earth. We believe that individual, handmade, ethical products will always be better than their mass-produced counterparts. Now is not the time to turn our backs on fairer, greener commerce, but the time to embrace it.
This Fair Earth – Beautiful, Handmade, Ethical Jewellery and Homeware.