Epistemic Justice in Consumer Testimonies

Sor Juana argued that knowledge comes from multiple sources—scripture, reason, experience, observation—and that excluding any source impoverishes understanding. In ethical consumption, epistemic justice means centering the testimonies of those in supply chains: workers describing conditions, producers explaining practices, affected communities sharing impacts. Often, corporate reports and certification schemes are treated as authoritative while worker voices are marginalized. This reverses that hierarchy. The farmworker describing pesticide exposure, the garment worker explaining wage theft, the environmental community documenting pollution—these are primary sources of knowledge about ethical consumption. Supporting fair trade, worker-owned cooperatives, and producer-direct models honors this epistemic justice. We listen to those with direct knowledge rather than filtering everything through corporate intermediaries. This practice aligns with Sor Juana's insistence that authentic knowledge requires hearing from multiple perspectives, including those without institutional power.