Why Fair Trade is So Important

The frenzied Black Friday scenes are familiar: hordes of customers pushing through the doors to get their hands on that special post-Thanksgiving steal of a purchase. But how many of us know where those items are from? Do we really know how that pair of jeans was made, or who put those shoes together?

More than 40 million people work in the garment industry worldwide. As some of the world’s lowest paid workers, they are at the mercy of a system in which many companies strive to maximize profits by paying employees as little as possible. But consumers are beginning to realize the power of their purchases to shape the lives of workers. Patagonia sees this as an opportunity to support the people behind the product and work toward wage equity in the supply chain. And this commitment goes beyond just a few token factories or a new marketing campaign. It is a growing movement that strives to do the right thing, even when it’s difficult or less immediately profitable to do so. Here’s how it works.

This story is a part of our Human Condition series. Come along and let us connect you to some of the most peculiar, stirring, extraordinary, and distinctive people in the world.

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[linusmlgtips]

I can't believe some people complain about how expensive fair trade clothing is. No shit, it should be 3x more expensive than the average clothing we have now, just like it used to be generations ago. The developed societies should begin to get used to buying less clothes for a more expensive price so tens of millions of people can have a fair standard of living for the work they do to make the clothing. No one deserves to work half the day at 30¢ an hour.

[juwairiyaumar]

I am Sri Lankan, living in Qatar and.. I didn't understand much about this problem till today.. most of the clothes say where they are made in and things so.. yeah & this video was amazing.. this channel deserves way more subscribers!

[Amitdas-gkit]

Omg I see my lovely mother in all the womens in the video coz my mom worked 18 years of her life in the textile factory in india and trust me the conditions are worst than the video but at last it's pay her today we have a small two room house in delhi and little money also I m going to college coz of my only lovely mother maa I love u 😢😢😢😊😊

[togawac]

Seriously eye opening. I really hadnt thought about where all these clothes come from

[harvardmurrayinc]

Great film. Great story. Glad to see a company like Patagonia leading the change.

[hdfarm]

"social responsibility" should be the first thing all we need to understand and keep practicing.

[Hurley]

WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT YOU BIG STORY! EVERYDAY WHEN IM ON THE TOILET YOU ALWAYS HAVE VIDEOS FOR ME TO WATCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

[King_]

YouTube’s most inspirational channel, keep up this amazing work and content! This channel can change the mindset to many individuals all around the globe in a positive way!

[nickc]

Great initiative, I think. Although, it's interesting to consider Fair Trade (the concept and the company) as a neoliberal concept– solving a problem with individuals rather than by pushing governments and other legal bodies to outlaw atrocious business practices. And the result of that is that you and I, the consumer, must pay more money for workers to not suffer, rather than the State rejecting garment industry lobbying money and making it illegal for American companies to do business with shady supply chains.

[tanvisood]

I feel ashamed of myself. I've never really considered the people behind the products, only purchasing the cheapest even though I have money i'm able to spend. I'll definitely be looking more into the products I buy, and wholeheartedly supporting fair trade from today onwards!

[aylmerhernandez]

"It's all about hope..." More power to those who strive for a more just society.

[coastalweldinginnovations]

805 putting in work proud of Patagonia 🙏💯✊🏽✊🏽🇲🇽✊🏽💯💯🙏🙏

[holden]

Tbh these garment factories have created so much employment opportunities here in Sri Lanka and gotta say the conditions have also significantly improved. But the wages are pretty low specially when compared to the rising inflation and pandemic.

[Thacarshee]

I am from Sri Lanka and I have seen a lot of people working in the Garment field but for me 70% of them look happy because the admins treat them right in here.

[AstralPhantom-zk]

• Looking forward to your next upload!

[Sam_YT_Handles_Blow]

Hello, I really like this channel, the videos are very informative. I wanted to ask: Can you allow the option for viewers to add subtitles in their respective language? I'd like to translate some of your videos to Russian.

[truthseeker]

GREAT ART, thanks Patagonia... I wish others feel the responsibility for their fellow human beings

[jasongenova]

Hey I remember when y'all only had 200k subs. Good for you guys

[ridwantriharto]

Correct me if i am wrong, but i think it all comes down again to us that actually busy the product. The companies are just making what we want, and that is high quality product with the cheapest price possible

[jordan]

Wow! A 13 minute long Great big story vid! I’m in for a treat!