The situation
Much of what we import – such as coffee, tea, mangoes, kiwis or bananas – leaves traces on the other side of the world. Environmental and human rights standards are different in each country. Superfoods such as goji berries or chia seeds, on which high pesticide residues have been found, or tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers from Spain, which use valuable groundwater for their cultivation in dry Andalusia and day laborers, show that neither of these is often the top priority are exploited from Africa and Eastern Europe. The list of examples is endless.
What has to happen
The tasks are clear: The Agenda 2030, which was adopted by all UN members in autumn 2015, set out 17 points that aim to create a fairer, more sustainable world. "It cannot be the case that products, for example, end up on our shelves that are produced under human rights violations," says Kathrin Krause, who is responsible for sustainability at the Federal Association of Consumer Centers.
The consumer advice centers are demanding minimum state criteria for socially and ecologically responsible production in the individual sectors such as food, clothing and electronics. So far there are no minimum criteria. The priority is the economy, not the environment, and not the human rights of workers in the producing countries.
Since so little happens in politics, it is all the more important that we act ourselves. 8 ideas that contribute to global justice:
IDEA 1: IF FLY THEN PAY
When flying, the consumption of climate-damaging emissions per person and kilometer is not only above other means of transport, the effect is also much worse due to the height. So what to do? Anyone who flies anyway should pay the emissions with a payment to charitable organizations such as compensate atmosfair.de or myclimate.org. The money is invested in climate protection projects.
2. IDEA: EYES WHEN BUYING A CAR
Which cars are best for the environment? The ecological traffic club Germany publishes a car environmental list once a year. Version 2019/20 is available at www.vcd.org/auto-umweltliste
3. IDEA: LESS FISH IS MORE
90 percent of the stocks are overfished or fished to their limits. Our hunger for fish is to blame: Even off the coast of Africa, fish is caught industrially on a large scale for European customers. Local small fishermen on South American, African and Asian coasts lose their jobs and food without fish.
Therefore: It's better to buy less fish and pay attention to sustainability seals (MSC, ASC or organic seal from Naturland and Bioland). As an alternative, try algae that also contain iodine and healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
4. IDEA: FAIRTRADE – BUT CORRECT
Last year, every German spent 16 euros on fair trade products such as chocolate, cocoa or coffee. For small farmers in the global south, fair trade means that they receive guaranteed minimum prices for their raw materials, from which they can lead a decent life. They are independent of the strongly fluctuating world market prices. The share of fair trade in the overall market is increasing – albeit at a low level. Lets go on we can do it better! According to Stiftung Warentest, the Naturland Fair, Fairtrade and Hand in Hand seals are particularly recommended.
5. IDEA: DRINK A GOOD COFFEE
It is like this with coffee: If the raw materials in the country of production are not only harvested but also processed, even more people can benefit from it. This creates additional jobs, more money remains in the country. Such products already exist, for example Café Cubita from Cuba or the great Rwandan BRIGITTE coffee "Angelique's Finest", which is made exclusively by women.
6. IDEA: AVOID PRODUCTS WITH CONVENTIONAL PALM OIL
The list of criticisms weighs heavily: palm oil is to blame for the displacement of indigenous people, the destruction of rainforests and the intensification of climate change. Unfortunately everything is correct. So what should be good about oil palms? The significantly higher yield per area compared to other oilseeds – which does not justify the deforestation of rainforests, but still benefits the environment. What does this mean for us? Buy cookies, chocolate spread or cosmetics only with bio-fair palm oil. Also: drive less often. The oil is contained in diesel fuel as a biofuel admixture.
7. IDEA: ELECTRIC SCRAP CONSCIOUSLY DISPOSAL
Firstly, electronic waste does not belong in household waste, even if it often ends up there. Secondly, electronic waste does not belong in the hands of the strangers who stand in front of the entrance to the recycling center. Because: A large part of this waste – officially declared as second-hand goods – is shipped to Asia or Africa, where it endangers the environment and the health of the residents. It is often children, for example, who burn cable jackets to get to the copper and inhale toxic fumes.
Important: Return broken devices to large electrical retailers or to the nearest recycling center. Valuable metals are recycled there and hazardous substances such as heavy metals or CFCs are disposed of. You can donate working tablets / cell phones or give them away to friends or on social media.
8. IDEA: MAKE CLIMATE PROTECTION NOTICABLE
Germany has committed to reducing its emissions to 750 million tons a year by 2020. In fact, almost nothing has changed in the past few years: We are just over 900 million tons. Of course, each individual contribution is just a drop in the bucket. But we can at least develop awareness by calculating our own ecological footprint (www.fussabdruck.de) and finding out where we can save emissions.
Good to know
- What becomes a trend food with us, such as B. avocados often has a catastrophic life cycle assessment
- 1.7 million tons of electronic waste have to be disposed of every year. How? Read tip 7
- Fish is the new meat. The result: 90 percent of the stocks overfished or fished to their limit, see tip 3
- More and more fuel-guzzling SUVs are registered – their number has increased by 122% in the past five years
- Only about 1 percent of air travelers compensate for their flight through payments in climate protection projects
- Of the 100 cups of coffee we drink, only four come from fair trade
Would you like to read more about the topic and exchange ideas with other women? Then take a look at the "Science & Environmental Protection Forum" of the BRIGITTE community!
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