Up-set at work

[JarBax]

I was pleased, on starting the new term at work, (learning support in high school), when the coffee and biscuit-buying round came to me, and everyone was happy for me to buy 'fair trade'. I feel quite passionately about the fair trade issue, and was heartened when all agreed.

However, this morning I walked into the department, where my colleagues had discussed that they really didn't like the fair trade coffee anymore, and wanted Nescafe again. I said that that was fine, but that I wasn't going to buy it.

I later checked out one of the 'campaign against Nestle' websites, Jane's Breastfeeding Resources - Campaign against Nestlé (I know it's almost as if I'd written it by myself - but I am not the partiular Jane in question!) I shared the info. there, but at break, was informed that there had been a general consensus that everyone (although not all were there) wanted Nescafe - the fair trade 'didn't taste the same'.

I could have cried (didn't - but could have!!!) (think could be sensitive time of month!). I just feel really disappointed in my colleagues. It's not a great way to feel, as I regard most as friends. I am so un-impressed that they can live with the knowledge, but care more about the taste they prefer.

Someone said, 'at least you tried' - but that doesn't seem enough! Another comment was 'I wish I had your ethics' - sometimes I think life would be so much easier without them!

I just come away feeling 'how could they...'

[Sabriel]

That sucks. Sometimes I feel the same way when my co-workers talk about their leather shoes and the fur coats they want to buy. (I work in fashion). And I know they are going to giggle when I come into work with my new "man made material" shoes tommorow.

At least untill I tell them they are "buy one get the second 1/2 off" at Payless. Then there might be more respect, but it will take a good deal to do it.

[Susan9608]

Personally, I think you have to take all of this breast feeding propaganda with a grain of salt. Yeah, yeah - breast milk has been proved time and time again to be the best for babies BUT I maintain that there was a *reason* why formula was invented in the first place. Breast feeding just simply isn't a good option for all women, for a variety of reasons.

Women who have poor nutrition themselves often produce poor quality, low calorie breast milk, so even though they are feeding their babies the "best" possible nutrition, their babies can *still* have failure to thrive.

It's a very individualized choice ... I hate to see anyone condemned for not breast-feeding their babies.

Now, Nestle certainly isn't one of my favorite companies and boycotting them is a very good idea, in my opinion, but I don't know if this particular issue would be my main reason for doing so.

[JarBax]

Thanks Sabriel! I'm not alone!

I do see where you're coming from Susan. I would never condem any woman for not breast feeding by choice either, but I do have a problem when the issue is survival - not just choice. Some women in developing countries have no choice, and when Nestle tells them that their product is better for their babies, that they should buy it from them - rather than feed their babies themselves, then I have a problem with that.

I know that not all women produce 'quality' milk themselves, and know form a friend who works for Oxfam in Niger that women there are often too dehydrated themselves to produce much milk. In these situations, of course their babies should be offered formula!

My emotion in this instance is aroused more from the whole fair-trade issue however. That people knowingly make the choice to buy from a company with worse-than-poor ethos, than from respected 'fair trade', on the basis that they 'prefer the taste', upsets me.

I find it difficult to put into words why I am still bothered about it today. I think, 'because somewhere, somebody is suffering because of our greedy, self-interested Western ways' goes some way into explaining it. I think also that I feel annoyed that I don't tell my colleagues how I really feel about their choices, I'd be ostracised, perhaps risking redundancy - therefore fulfilling the same selfish righteous ways I find abhorrent in them!

[fairysari]

I'm sorry the people at your work feel that way. Maybe you could try switching to a different brand or flavour of fair trade coffee? I recommend Kicking Horse (or Kick depending on where you buy it) (link removed as it was not the correct one) but I don't know if it's available near you. Do you think I'd be able to ship a pound of coffee to the UK? With all the weird diseases and stuff lately, I don't know if you're allowed to mail food anymore.

[JarBax]

Thanks for the kind thought Sari!

I've actually bought 4 different different kinds of fair-trade coffee. Though it was just the last one people seemed to object to (though I buy the same kind, decaf. for me at home, and like it) - they are going to buy Nescafe for themselves anyway. I only found out, cos I went to the classroom where we have break time, because I'd just bought more ft coffee, and they were discussing it.

It just makes me feel sad.

But I did have a wee giggle at the 'social life' link you posted - I think we're at the nigglish stage, not the flying ball of fur - yet!!!

[fairysari]

Oops, didn't look at which link I posted
Here it is for real: http://www.kickinghorsecoffee .com

Note by Ly: Sorry but had to put a space in that link as the title of the page it goes to uses a curse word. You will just have to manually type in the link instead of clicking on this one.