Lately, I find it increasingly difficult to buy any product. What was useful and tasty years ago, today, is uncertain. The change? I have gone from the mere contemplation of the product to the contemplation of the whole element.
At the points of sale we have many things at our disposal. We see the product, we touch it, we taste it, and after we take the size of the pocket paste, we decide whether or not we buy it. Along the way, you don't see with your eyes the human condition in which it's produced and what's polluting, but it's something you feel. We may not have been directly involved, but surely the people and places around the creative process could have said something else.
We care as buyers, we reward with our purchases one or other kind of trade
Traceability is the DNA of the steps taken in the creation and life of a product: the information that gathers the story of the element in the supply chain and the path followed. This accumulation of data is full of black holes, because the working and living conditions are not indicated; the workers earn a living wage; those who ask other countries in the production centers; the contagion of the environment... It is a delicate information, which can be ugly and not well seen in this society privileged for our consumption.
The impact that the life of a purchased product has on the environment is very important. Before, the reasons why you didn't see the element in another depth came from outside and inside. On the one hand, the brilliance of the products, the sweet flavors and the fashion dazzled me. But one cannot avoid the responsibility of oneself, and in this sense, in my case, the most important thing was comfort and laziness. I saw nothing more than the product before me and only felt the direct influence it exerted on myself. But what is behind a 5-euro t-shirt and a 10-euro sneakers? Or the great benefits of famous brands? The answers to these questions are directly related to the product.
We care as buyers, with our purchases we reward one or other kind of trade. In our people we make demonstrations, strikes, mergers, etc. in defence of children’s rights, against women’s oppression, for decent working conditions… These shouts are drowned in this context, such as the people or countries involved in the product creation process.
In this context, we should have more direct and transparent traceability and make a selection of all the information. In the meantime, I propose to make a paused selection when buying something; among other things, so that the respect and awareness we have for the environment becomes ever greater. What we eat, dress and use is also us. We are part of the links of concrete products, because it is we who are at the end of the chain.