Just a question. Do fair trade policies lead to increased prosperity for producers in agrarian and emerging economies or do they create road-blocks and restrict market access, thereby harming those very people fair trade policies are supposed to help?
Well, I agree with the question and the obvious answer is both. Another question is: are there other methods to ensure a fairer market for coffee or other crops? I’m convinced the answer is yes. The Cup of Excellence auction and the direct-relationship movement, for two clear examples. I even think that fair-trade has outlived its goals and should be rethought. But that’s just me.
I would say that for the most part Fair Trade co-ops encourage farmers and their families on the basis of working together within a community and towards a better life. I know that many fair trade organizations such as Ten Thousand Villages have tons of examples how their fair trade products not only give farmers and handicraft workers more money for their work cutting out the middle person, but also provide important social services such as scholarships for their children or building health care centres or schools.
I do however see that fairtrade labelling is a very expensive and labouring process for organizations just trying to get by. But I think in the end it is worth the effort, as it gives consumers more of an idea into what they’re buying into.
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