By Mahardhika S. Sadjad

Indonesians eat an average of 130 kg of rice per person every year. We’re so dependent on rice that insufficient production and import can become an issue of national security. And yet, when we sit down at our dining tables every day, how many of us stop and contemplate the amount of sweat and sacrifice that was put into each spoon of rice that we consume?

An average Indonesian farmer owns less than 0.5 hectares of land and a monthly income of Rp. 500,000. Their limited production and restricted access to the market has often led farmers concede to unfair trade practices with middlemen and loan sharks. Farmers are one of the nations’ main sources of income and yet they are also one of the least protected actors in the market.

Now, you’re probably thinking: What can everyday citizens like you and me do to change the market? Do we need to join protests on the streets and demand trade justice? Well, I tried participating in a rally once and did not see any impact at all. In fact, the farmers that came to the rally were denied a promise to meet with officials from the agriculture department because protesters from certain interest groups started to protest in the agriculture department’s parking lot without a permit (the protesters were ironically protesting on behalf of the farmers!). So, no, I’m not advocating protests. Although I do demand government protection for weaker actors in the market, I understand the political and economic consequences of more government intervention.

I think we should demand trade justice by understanding our own role as a consumer. We need to understand that we are an active sub-system that can make informed choices that affect the market. As Noreena Hertz wrote in her book ‘The Silent Takeover’ our money is equivalent to our vote in a ballot box. The choices we make when we consume reflect consumers’ demands that producers, distributors, retailers and other sub-systems will hear and try to cater to.

Of course, this argument is often dismissed on three grounds. People will usually think: ‘Yeah right… As if my individual choice will make a difference.’ And they’re right; one person can’t move a mountain. It definitely takes a collective effort of individuals. But the point that people really need to accept is that they should be a part of the collective effort. If people dismiss their individual power as a consumer they allow the unfair trade system to continue. Doing nothing is the same as contributing, the question is whether you want to contribute to positive change or contribute in strengthening the status quo?

I’m always amazed at people’s skepticism towards their own individual power. I think we can see evidence of consumer power in our everyday life. Take for example halal labeling in the market. A strong demand from Muslim consumers in Indonesia, as in most Muslim countries, has created a systematic effort in the market to distinguish and label kosher food. This trend also emerged in western markets as Islam continues to spread, creating an alternative market made for – but not limited to - Muslims.

Another argument against the notion of consumer power for fair trade in Indonesia is that Indonesian consumers just can’t afford it. People really should remember that one of the problems of Indonesia’s developing economy is not that every one of us is poor. The problem is that there’s an unbelievable gap between the poor and the rich while current market trends have failed to ensure a fairer distribution of income.

Moreover, consumers’ discretion can be done through simple ways, like consuming local products to empower local producers, reading about corporate practices to choose products from corporations whose trade practices or CSR programs they agree to, or show support to small and middle scale industries and not fall into the trap of mass consumerism. Fair trade products don’t necessarily mean more expensive products. It means that producers, not middlemen, get a bigger percentage of the profit.

But of course, it cannot be denied that better trade practices can also mean more productions costs. Well, a lot of us don’t mind spending our money on designer clothes, latest trend in cellular phones, or dining out in expensive restaurants. It ultimately comes down to this: Do you really want to drink coffee produced by small children deprived from their rights to go to school or wear jeans made by underpaid workers that are not allowed to sit or have any toilet breaks for over 12 hours each day? I think saying no to these practices is worth the price that we pay.

A third argument that I hear – one that always causes me to cringe every time I hear it – is why should I even care what happens to farmers? Besides the argument that we’re obligated as humans to help others, the answer is very simple. What happens to them, affects you. Agriculture used to be Indonesia’s sexiest industry. But modernization and global competition has pushed us to move towards industrialization and a competition to the bottom for cheap labor. More and more people from rural areas migrate to Indonesia’s big cities looking for jobs as underpaid laborers and often end up unemployed. Unemployment often pushes people to illegal practices like theft, drug dealing or prostitution that affects us all.

Improving trade practices, especially for farmers, mean that we could put sexy back into the agriculture sector. Better distribution of income means better distribution of population. Studies show that development in rural areas show bigger impact on development in both urban and rural areas compared to development in urban areas. This is because developing rural areas and providing a better income for its population usually lead to stronger local trade that strengthens local businesses. Meanwhile development in urban areas usually lead to more consumption on imported products.

People often tell me to get real and accept that life is just not ‘fair’. Maybe they’re right. But, wouldn’t it be fun to at least try to prove them wrong? Besides, reality is what we make of it. One reality I know for sure: you are what you eat. So let’s be wise and become wiser consumers.