Talking Ethics to the Consumer

ANYONE in the Eastern Bay, who has ever looked at the food on their plate and thought, “Where has this come from? How did it get to my table?” and “Is the money I paid for it going to the people it should?” probably knows or has heard of Pip Wonacott.
Mrs Wonacott describes herself as an ethical consumer, radical environmentalist, Fair Trade advocate ... and, despite still getting to grips with the public speaking part, an educator.
As well as being Eastbay REAP’s Green Screenings coordinator, organising public showings of films about environmental subjects, she also represents Oxfam New Zealand during their annual Fair Trade Fortnight from May 2-17, visiting various workplaces teaching about the plight of the farmer in undeveloped countries where much of our food – eg, coffee, tea, chocolate and bananas – are grown.
In countries such as Ethiopia, and Bangladesh, the farmers who labour to produce these products receive little benefit from their work, while global corporations reap the profit. Fair Trade is working to try to change that.
As well as providing cups of tea, coffee and hot chocolate to the workplaces – all Fair Trade, of course – in a series of coffee breaks over the past fortnight, she has sold more than $1200 worth of Fair Trade products, and collected more than $100 for Oxfam in donations.
However, she says that collecting donations is not really her aim.
“I really see myself as an educator. The influence of the consumers over what is being sold in supermarkets is massive. These people are not asking for charity. They just want a fair price for their goods.
“You do come across the occasional person who doesn’t care, but most people are kind and when they find out what is going on around the world they want to find out what they can do about it.”
It doesn’t take long for any conversation with Mrs Wonacott to come around to such subjects as child slave labour and the environment.
“I’m sure there is at least one house that I will never be invited back to dinner,” she says. But her knowledge of what is happening by environmental and Fair Trade groups both locally and internationally is extensive.
She has put it all together in the form of a website.
“The website was a Christmas present from my husband,” she said.
This makes sense when you learn that said husband is Dan Wonacott, partner in Klixo Business Web Services.
Mother of two children aged eight and six, Mrs Wonacott has worked on the website during her spare time, mostly in the evenings.
The website, http://www.wonacott.com networks information about projects that are happening locally that Mrs Wonacott is involved in, from community gardens, the Eastbay TimeBank project, Green Screenings and Bike Wise Month.
It is also a good place to start looking for places Eastern Bay consumers can start exercising their influence on global trade. A list of products sold by Whakatane shops, cafes and supermarkets is available as well as links to the FairTrade organisation’s website where more information is available.

[Thanks to Diane McCarthy]