The photos Thom took for Make Trade Fair are online, at long last. Head over to the Make Trade Fair website to see the photos, and, more importantly, learn the reasons behind why they were taken.
For example- Thom is covered in chocolate in his photo set. Why? Because poor countries lose around $100 billion a year because rich countries put up barriers, which prevent them making the most out of trade in crops such as cocoa.
Thom commented on the photoshoot in a recent NME posting-
“How sweet does your chocolate taste when you know the producer in a country you will never see did not even get paid enough to feed his family? How sweet does it taste when you see the amount of profit a few multinational corporations make on it?
“How sweet does it taste, exactly, to know our own governments prevent these countries from ever getting off their knees and from ever being able to compete and get PAID, erecting barriers and then DUMPING on them from a great height whilst feigning concern? How delicious is it to know that sweet taste in your mouth is one of slavery, a nice new economic model? As it melts in your mouth, how sweet does your chocolate taste, now you know the suffering that it took to get to you?”
This is a great cause, and other celebrities such as Chris Martin, Michael Stipe, Antonio Banderas, and Angelique Kidjo have photo sets up as well. Go take a look here.
If you’re interested in learning more about the fair trade problem, I’d also recommend checking out the following sites:
People For Fair Trade
United Students For Fair Trade
GlobalIssue’s Trade Issue Page