Re Fair trade not really fair, May
The article from The Economist to which a reference is made also states, “The best thing about the spread of the ethical food movement is that it offers grounds for hope. It sends a signal that there is enormous appetite for change and widespread frustration that governments are not doing enough to preserve the environment, reform world trade or encourage development.”
Think globally, act locally. There is no doubt that fair trade is in the interest of small farmers, to pretend otherwise is to give legitimacy to unfair and exploitative world economic trade systems. Fair Trade farmers' groups frequently invest in developing their market knowledge, in building up their export or processing capability, or in diversification programs, all of which require investment. Equally powerful signs of hope lie in the thousands of small victories being won at local levels by producer communities able to invest in processing facilities, better schools, health clinics, clean water, internet access and recycling schemes as a result of selling to fair trade markets. As Raymond Kimaro of the Kilimanjaro Native Co-operative Union commented at the G8 events in Edinburgh: “Pay us a fair price for our coffee, and we will make poverty history for ourselves.”
For complete information on fair trade and where to purchase certified fair trade products, go to www.transfair.ca.
