Consumer buying power: Exercise your consumer etiquette and change the world

Etiquette essentially concerns the quality of interactive relationships.

It is how one person treats the surrounding existence on a everyday basis and that in turn reflects the quality of the person. Etiquette extends to how we treat animals, plants and the environment. Most certainly, to the world we live in. Etiquette is all about making decisions to interact with respect and empathy. Your consumer buying power can make a critical impact in the retail sector.

Etiquette has the power to change the world in the form of consumer etiquette.

We are all consumers regardless of our age, ethic, gender and geography. Every purchase we make shapes the data of demand. In return, the market adjust their supply accordingly. Our choices to buy or not buy transforms into an index that suppliers see as a growth or decline. When we exercise our consumer buying power and make educated purchasing decisions that are respectful and empathetic to the world we live in, we help those suppliers who also share the same respect and empathy for the world.

Fair Trade

Fair trade is a social movement whose goal is to help producers in developing countries. First goal is to achieve better trading conditions and second is to promote sustainability. It offers better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers in developing countries. Most notably it is the coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas and cotton that benefits from this movement.

Emma Watson is a advocate of fair trade and eco-sustainable fashion. Above is her collaboration with People Tree, a UK based sustainable and fair trade fashion company. Image credit: People Tree

Satara, a dutch fashion label that not only focus on sustainable fair trade eco-fashion, it is also nonprofit. It promotes gender equality and self-empowerment for the women in India by training and employing underprivileged women.

For more fashion companies that participate in the fair trade social movement: 33 fair trade and ethical fashion companies shaping the fashion industry

For more info on the fair trade movement: Fair Trade International

Animal Testing

Also known as animal research, and “IN VIVO” testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments. It is estimated that about 50-100 million vertebrate animals ( animals with backbones) are used in animal testing worldwide annually. Some argue the need for animal research for medical treatments is essential. The British Royal Society, for example, believes that medical achievements in the 20th century relied on such method.

Animal rights and animal welfare organizations such as PETA and BUAV, on the other hand, question the need for and legitimacy of animal testing. They believe that it is cruel and poorly regulated, as some experiments yielded false results for humans as it is done on non-humans, and that animals have intrinsic rights not to be used and or harmed in experiments.

Look for these cruelty-free and or vegan logos on cosmetic packages to help make consumer choices for products that are not engaging in animal testing. Image credit: www.thelilfoxes.com

Download the BUNNY FREE app from itunes, an app that allow users to check if a company is cruelty-free: Bunny Free – Cruelty Free

Ocean Wise

Ocean Wise Seafood program was developed by the Vancouver Aquarium. It is in association with 18 other organizations in North America that forms the Conservation Alliance for Seafood solutions. The ocean covers 70% of Earth and is responsible for an astonishing 50% of oxygen refreshment production for the entire world. The eco-system in the ocean greatly affects those living on land, especially those living near the coast.

Choosing to consume sustainable seafood means giving our ocean a great number of benefits. Consumers can choose to eat species that are not in threat in extinction. This will  give those that are nearing extinction borderline a chance to re-populate. Support fishers who use sustainable fishing methods that do not damage the ocean eco-system. The ocean floors and the irreplaceable coral reefs were areas this program particularly want to focus on helping.

Look for the Ocean Wise symbol to exercise your consumer buying power in shaping the future of our ocean. Sustainable seafood makes a difference by helping to optimize the health of our ocean.

For more Ocean Wise information visit: Ocean Wise Sustainable Seafood

There are more ways to exercise consumer etiquette, such as supporting merchants that are devoting their efforts in helping others in need, buying from non-profit organizations that donates their proceeds to a charity cause, or simply buying from local merchants to help the local economy. Your decision matters in every way, every day, and everything you do can shape the course of the world.