This article was originally published by The Mennonite

A contrarian view of anticonsumption rhetoric

I dread the anticonsumption rhetoric that becomes especially shrill at Christmas. Here is my argument for consumption mixed with a measure of thought and intelligence.

1. Don’t fall into the trap of anticonsumerism. How many people would you like to disemploy by failing to engage in trade and commerce? Just because we mostly do not pursue jobs in manufacturing does not mean the millions who still work in manufacturing should not be entitled to work.

2. Live broader than the confines of the 100-mile diet. Remember that we live in a global community in which we trade and work in our areas of comparative advantage. It is good to support local producers, but do not fall into the trap of neo protectionism that excludes distant producers from our markets. Enjoy a cup of coffee, a bowl of raspberries, a banana or an orange that has travelled some distance, knowing that producers, processors and transporters have as much right to work and to earn an income as we do.

3. Fair trade is a good thing but only works if people consume. Middlemen play a useful purpose in the value chain that connects producers to markets. Fair trade works to ensure that those portions of the value chain that have the least economic power are also treated fairly. Buying fair trade coffee or cocoa or clothing is useful, but insist on comparable quality and that large sourcers from developing countries employ fair labor practices. How? Write a letter.

4. Buy something local but also buy something from China or India or some other developing economy. We need to act as though we live in a global community, and we need to celebrate the increasing prosperity in Mexico, China and India thanks to globalization.

5. Buy something extravagant like an original work of art or a handmade carpet. Often the producers of these are hardworking and receive a relatively low net hourly wage, yet they are people of unusual skill, creativity and insight. Our world needs such influences if we want to be more than mere material consumers of daily needs.

6. Happily pay higher prices for organic food. Organic foods are healthier for you but are more expensive to grow, and those who produce them require a fair return on their efforts to stay in business. Increasing demand will incentify the drive to find greater efficiencies in organic food production. At the same time, recognize that organic foods are a luxury that only the rich world can afford; most people live on what they can get.

7. Pay above the market for something. Once I had my shoes shined by a shoeshine wallah in India. The going rate is five rupees (about 12 cents); he asked for 10 rupees. I gave him 50 rupees and walked away. It cost me a dollar to surprise him, interfere usefully in the local market and shorten the number of hours he had to work to feed himself and his family. There are other ways to “overpay.” An large tip (say 20 percent) for good service would be a nice surprise. Purchasing from a small, independent retailer as opposed to a lower-priced big box store might be a good thing.

8. Celebrate rising energy prices. It will encourage you to buy something energy-saving. Higher energy costs contribute the greatest incentive to reduce the use of existing energy resources and to research energy savings technologies.

9. Buy some new piece of technology. Digital film cameras are less expensive to operate and are easier on the environment than conventional film cameras. Cell phones have democratized information for millions of poor people in developing economies, such as India or China. IPods use a fraction of the energy of previous music machines. Buying technology rewards the innovators and inventors of this world. We need them.

10. Pay more for quality. Cheapest is not always the best value. Higher quality items frequently last longer and often have a lower cost per use. They take longer to hit the landfill sites. Buying quality encourages good engineering and careful craftsmanship.

11. When buying, look for items that contain a maximum of recyclable materials. Pay more for containers or packaging that can be reused or recycled. In general, leave plastic bags and other unnecessary packaging material at the store. Bring your own reusable bags to the store.

12. Boycott boycotts. The economic boycott of Cuba hasn’t worked. Proposed boycotts of Myanmar (Burma) and Iran are not only politically ineffective, they mostly only punish the poor. In a boycotted economy, the rich and powerful are inconvenienced perhaps, but they will continue to eat. It is people at the bottom end of the ladder that pay the price. If you have to boycott something, let it be the trade in small arms.

Al Doerksen is president of International Development Enterprises Canada. This is reprinted from The Marketplace.

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