Purchase With Purpose: End Human Trafficking

I remember the first time I heard about Human Trafficking, it seemed like some sort of urban legend or attention-grabbing movie plot. I didn’t think there was any way that something so horrific could actually be true. But as the issue got more publicity and more people were prompted to step in and help (and then coming out with firsthand accounts of unfathomable evil), it became clear that as nightmarish as the issue was, it was - and still is - actually happening.

Even worse, it became clear that many of us were actually contributing to the problem through our every day decisions, namely, our shopping choices. Here’s how (I’m probably not telling y’all anything you don’t already know): In an effort to make goods as cheaply as possible, many companies look for the factories that will charge them the least for production. If a factory is charging significantly less than other factories, this should be a red flag. Still, in an effort to increase their margins, many companies are giving their business to the factories that can offer the lowest prices. But how can they offer prices significantly lower than the factory down the road? It’s sad, but it’s simple: They are not paying their employees anywhere near a living wage — if anything at all. People who are made to work in these conditions are not just underpaid, however. They are often abused in every sense of the word (I don’t think I need to go into detail, but if you can imagine all versions of abuse, you can be sure these things are happening inside of these factories), and these “employees” (the more accurate word is “victims”) are typically working, not by choice, but by horrible, inhumane force. And then, as company after company gives their business to the factories offering these prices, the factories who do pay a living wage and treat their employees better lose customers — and often feel that they have to choose to compromise their own standards or go out of business. So how do you think many of them decide to remain competitive price-wise? You guessed it: they, too, enter into the dark world of trafficking. And so the trafficking underworld grows…

So, before you fill up your cart with clothes sold at really low prices (many of you know what clothing company is notorious for their crazy low prices!), consider how a company is able to make clothes at such a low price — and whether or not you want to support companies that would choose better margins over the safety and freedom of women and men who are making their products.

This idea of contributing to the problem still is something I grapple with — are we culpable if we are not malicious in our intention? So many of us have supported this industry unknowingly. Are we truly supposed to research every single company that we purchase through? I’d say that if the answer seems complicated, it’s only because of our comfortable distance from the issue itself. I think if we were given a glimpse into the working conditions or if we were to hear a survivor of trafficking share their horror stories of abuse before each purchase, I don’t think it would be complicated at all; I think we would close our wallets without a second thought. It’s just that we just have enough middle-men and enough separation from the issue that we don’t let it interfere with our desire to save some money and get a bargain.I would be lying to you if I told you that I made every purchase with this in mind. I wish I did - but it feels overwhelming. But we all can start somewhere, and that’s one of the things we wanted to do though Do Goods Mercantile. We felt like the place we could start was to offer a wide variety of goods that come from companies with a transparent supply chain, with ethical working conditions, and who refuse to focus so much on profits that they forget to care about people. We believe that if the weight of this vetting landed on the stores carrying the product rather than on each individual shopper, this may feel less overwhelming and the impact could be significant. The research has taken so much time, and I am still figuring out how to do it well, but it’s a process we believe makes a difference (and I’m happy to do it)!

This topic is dark, but I want to leave y’all with some hope. There are so many companies who are rejecting this mindset and placing the well-being of people ahead of profits. Not only are many companies seeking out factories with ethical standards, some are specifically and intentionally hiring people who have experienced the horrors of trafficking and have survived some of the worst conditions imaginable. Now they are being employed and are given counseling and community by companies offering them so much more than a job. There are also companies who are choosing to pay well above a living wage so that families in impoverished areas do not have to resort to family separation or undignified work to make ends meet. These people are often very vulnerable to trafficking and these companies are going “upstream,” in a sense, to proactively protect them. Many companies are keeping all manufacturing close to home so that they can tell you about each and every person that was involved in the process of production… and they can personally vouch for the working conditions. Other companies take a portion of their profits and donate it to anti-trafficking efforts, which is so needed. If you come in the store on any given day, we’d be happy to show you the companies who are taking a stand against trafficking and shining light in the darkness. And when you support them, you’re pushing back against the darkness too.

Our shelves are stocked with a variety of items, but they all have one thing in common: every product comes from a company that is doing something good. That means that every time you make a purchase from us, you make a difference.