Conscious Consumerism
Putting profits into the hands of the people
By Sarah Brylinsky
When I chose to study abroad in Ecuador at the end of my freshman year, I didn’t go into the program with bad intentions. In fact, the program, “Sustainable Micro-Enterprises in Ecuador,” was on a topic filled with good intentions: sustainable business development and ecological awareness. I had traveled internationally many times before, and I considered my knowledge of cultural etiquette to be above average. But studying in Ecuador made me realize I had been missing two areas of impact consideration: local ecology and both local and global economic markets.
Sustainable Micro-Enterprises in Ecuador is a short-term Ithaca College summer program that works with the Fundación Maquipucuna in Ecuador, a cloud-rainforest conservation organization that has an eco-lodge in a reserve that holds two of the top five biodiversity hotspots in the world. The perfect organization with which to foster a sustainable traveler’s consciousness, Maquipucuna takes a holistic approach to sustainable development by not only preserving natural resources, but also providing training and economic alternatives in the Andean corridor of Ecuador. The staff at Maquipucuna focus on building community ties that help people see how their actions affect their neighbors near and far.
While we weren’t all business majors, we were given the chance to explore how creating small businesses and building product brands applied to community development. “Global economy,” a term we came to understand well, sounds fancy, but it really just means that when you buy a tourist t-shirt anywhere—whether it says, “My Mom Went to Disney World and All I Got Was This Stupid Shirt” or it is a cotton tank top from the Eiffel Tower gift store—chances are that the shirt was produced in one country, shipped to another, packaged in yet another, and was made with raw materials from a fourth. It’s an important concept for travelers and students to realize, because their purchasing decisions can make a difference in supporting the local economy instead of a large corporation. For example, while traveling in Ecuador, I worked with a local women’s jewelry-making cooperative, Los Colibris (The Hummingbirds). Los Colibris produces jewelry using renewable natural products from the area’s rainforest.
When I picked out a handmade bracelet, made of a strong black and tan striped nut found on the rainforest floor, it was the first time I’d actually shaken the hand of the person who had made the product I was about to buy. That meant my money was going directly to Maria Anteinego, not to a company that takes most of the profits and pays little to the workers who sell the goods. Plus, I had the chance to ask how the materials were produced (sustainably, with all natural and renewable materials), to ask where they came from, and to witness the process of making the beautiful jewelry. By buying this bracelet, I was helping Maria and the other Colibries build a business that would strengthen their families and community.
When traveling or studying abroad, it’s important to be conscious about consumer choices. Does that gift I want to buy for my friend harm the local economy by taking profits out of the hands of the people and putting them into a larger corporation, or does it contribute to the diversity of the local culture and community? Especially in areas that rely on a heavy tourist influx, being aware of the power of our purchases makes us more socially responsible travelers by showing that we care enough about the culture in which we travel to support it with our curiosity—and our wallets.
This bio was current at the time of publication: Sarah Brylinsky is a junior Communication Management & Design and Environmental Studies double major with a minor in Women’s Studies at Ithaca College. She has traveled to Ecuador twice, as a student and as a research/teaching assistant. After graduation she plans to continue a life of ecofeminist activism and sustainable development and planning. She is the Sustainability Intern for Ithaca College.