Why can’t I buy fairly traded and reasonably priced clothing?

I make compromises every day with what I buy for my family. Here are some of the things I worry about: biodegradable/washable nappies, organic milk and milk products, organic veg, fair trade tea, coffee and chocolate, environmentally friendly cleaning products, fairly treated meat and sustainable fish.

If I bought the most ethical, environmental and healthy version of each of these my shopping bill would be intolerably high. But I do try and some of these I buy all the time, some only when its convenient and some barely at all. But they are all readily available in my local supermarket. Sometimes I worry about shopping in the supermarket too, but then where would I buy all my expensive higher value goods?

But how do I clothe myself and my family ethically? I buy clothes for myself, my husband (I know!) and 3 children under 5. The children are growing fast so are always needing something from pants to a whole new outfit. I buy from supermarkets and normal high street stores. Nothing that I buy is even remotely ethical. Even though I would be prepared to pay a premium to know that whoever made the clothes was paid a decent wage. I don’t want organic or designer items with ridiculous price tags. I want normal day-to-day clothes particularly for children for which I would pay maybe 20-50% more.

I know there are a few things out there. I like Howies a lot, I like the ethics of People Tree although its not really my style and I know Top Shop have a small organic/fair trade range – but the quality is appalling. Why is that? For children I simply don’t know anywhere that stocks the basics.

Ideally I would like a stamp, like we have with fair trade, organic or freedom food that says that the factory where this was produced meets minimum standards. Surely it can’t be that hard to do. Maybe the shops and supermarkets think they are doing enough – I know they all have ethical policies which they happily produce if you make a fuss. But these have been generally proved to be worthless and far removed from the situation you find on the factory floor.

Now I don’t particularly want organic or fair trade (Fair trade states that an item has to be sold by a collective rather than a company). All I want is ethical and of a similar quality to the stuff I buy now.

The situation is even more ridiculous when you compare it to what you can buy in the rest of the supermarket. I can buy a banana which is pesticide free, where all elements of the supply chain have been paid decently and where I can know the farm, the country and the transportation method by which it reaches the UK. But can I buy a child’s t-shirt where I can be assured that child labour has not been used. No. And I want to know why not.

Chocolate Fudge cake

Just like the sort you get in restaurants and very easy to boot. Serve with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce or make a chocolate frosting and serve as ‘real’ cake. Adapted from a Gordon Ramsay recipe.

Ingredients

• 125g butter (room temperature)
• 50g cocoa powder
• 225g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3 large eggs
• 125g self raising flour

Preparation

In a small bowl combine the cocoa powder and half the sugar. Boil 100ml water. Gradually stir the boiling water into the cocoa and sugar until you get a smooth runny paste.

In another bowl beat the butter and remaining sugar until pale and creamy (use electric mixer if you’ve got one!). Add the vanilla essence. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Be warned this looks like scrambled eggs!

Fold in flour and stir thoroughly. Stir in the chocolate paste.

Use a large non-stick cake tin (20cm) or line the base of a non-stick one with greased greaseproof paper. Pour the mixture into the tin.

Cook at 140’c (fan) for 30-35 mins. Check after 20 mins.

Cool in the tin for 10 mins before removing to a cooling rack until totally cold.

I found this cake freezes very well too.